PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A dozen people were shot within a two-hour time period in nine separate incidents in Philadelphia on Tuesday night. Between 10 p.m. and midnight, two lives were lost and 10 more were indelibly changed.
Police say the two homicides happened around 11 p.m. In one incident, a double shooting, a woman was killed while sitting in front of a home with her sister.
Wednesday morning, blood had to be cleaned off the front steps of an apartment at 46th and Walnut streets. Chalk circles on the sidewalk marked bullets that were fired overnight.
Police say the two women were sitting there, when people came by and fired at least 21 shots at them from two different guns.
"They were struck so many times, it appears that one of them or both may have been the intended target or targets," Small said.
“Several of the spent shell casings appear to be rifle rounds because they’re much longer,” said Chief Inspector Scott Small.
One victim, who’s 36-years-old, was struck several times. She was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The other victim, 33, was shot a few times as well, but police say she managed to get back inside the house. She was taken to Penn Presbyterian for treatment, as well, and police say she is expected to survive.
"They were struck so many times, it appears that one of them or both may have been the intended target or targets," Small said.
The other deadly shooting happened on Valley Place near Ditman Street. Police say they found a 45-year-old man who was bleeding after being shot several times in the head and chest. He was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he died.
With these two killings, there have now been 271 homicides in Philadelphia as of Tuesday night, according to police department data. That's 70 more than at the same time last year — a 35% increase.
Related
Police also responded to reports of a person with a gun in Nicetown-Tioga around 10 p.m. A 43-year-old man was shot in both legs. Police took him to Temple University Hospital, where he is said to be in stable condition.
Around 10:30 p.m., police say, a 21-year-old man in Kingsessing was hit in the side of his face and neck. Police transported the victim to Penn Presbyterian, where he was listed in critical condition.
Police also responded around 11 p.m. to an area near 59th Street and Lansdowne Avenue. A double shooting had left two men, ages 19 and 21, wounded. Both victims were driven to Lankenau Medical Center for treatment. They are expected to make a physical recovery.
Related
Three shootings at both ends of town, all around 11:30 p.m., left four men hospitalized and in stable condition.
A 20-year-old man was shot in the arm and the stomach. Police responded to Albert Einstein Medical Center, though the location of the shooting is not yet known.
On North Hobart Street, near Carroll Park, two men were wounded in gunfire. A 25-year-old, shot in the hand, was driven to Lankenau, and a 27-year-old, shot in buttock, ended up at Penn Presbyterian.
In South Philly, near 7th Street and Snyder Avenue, a 23-year-old man suffered wounds to the leg and shoulder. He is at Methodist Hospital.
Related
In the final shooting of the night, around 11:45 p.m., police received word of a 22-year-old man who was shot in the arm during an attempted robbery near Oxford Circle and taken to Lankenau. He is in stable condition and is expected to make a physical recovery.
Police say there have been no arrests in any of Tuesday night's shootings.