PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two deadly shootings in Philadelphia overnight have brought the city to the grim milestone of 300 homicides so far this year. The number of shootings in the city is now up at least 33% over this time last year.
A 21-year-old man in the Hunting Park neighborhood of North Philadelphia died overnight. Police say about 3:30 a.m., they found him on the ground between two parked cars on Hunting Park Avenue, just off Broad Street. He had been shot once in the shoulder.
"We found a trail of blood leading from the spent shell casing to where the victim is lying," Chief Inspector Scott Small said at the scene. "So it appears after being shot, he may have been able to walk or run about 100 feet."
Police said he lived on the block. Friends and family members, after hearing about the shooting, went to the neighborhood. They were consoling each other as homicide detectives processed the crime scene.
Hours earlier, at around 12:30 a.m., police say a man in his 30s died at the hospital. He had been shot several times in the area of 18th Street and Susquehanna Avenue around 11:30 p.m. Thursday.
In that incident, there were two other victims: A 24-year-old man was hit and is stable, and a teenage girl was hit by a stray bullet while she was outside of her house.
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"We don't believe anybody would intentionally shoot a 14-year-old girl on her front porch," Small said. "She ran into her house after being
shot."
Cops took her to the hospital, where she is in stable condition.
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Police say 17 shots were fired in the neighborhood and two parked cars were also hit. So far, no one has been arrested for either shooting, and a motive is not clear. Investigators say there are surveillance cameras at both shooting scenes.
In a statement, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw condemned the violence:
“The brazenness with which these assaults are carried out is appalling. The lack of regard for human life is affecting innocent bystanders and our children are being caught in the crossfire.
“The Philadelphia Police Department remains committed to ensuring the safety of all residents and visitors of Philadelphia. So far this year, we have taken almost as many guns off of the streets than we did in all of 2020. Our officers remain laser-focused on enforcing the law while deterring crime, and as I have spoken about previously, we continue to partner with local, state, and federal law enforcement to improve our operations and have access to technology that can help the PPD curb violence more effectively.
“Again, I cannot understate the importance of the police and the community coming together and acting as partners. Social problems require a unified response. It is through collaboration that we will be able to effect long-term and sustainable change.”