PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Three people are dead and one is injured after a shooting at a home in Lawncrest on Friday.
Around 3:30 p.m., police responded to reports of gunshots on the 5900 block of Palmetto Street near Rising Sun Avenue. Upon arriving at the scene, they found three people who had been fatally shot: Malik Ballard, 17, of Castor Avenue, Khalif Frezghi, 18, of East Pleasant Street, and Salah Fleming, 14, of West Montgomery Avenue. Police say they discovered their bodies inside the doorway of the house, on the porch, and on the sidewalk.
Police said, around the same time, a 16-year-old who was suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach was dropped off at a local hospital by a private vehicle. Police located the vehicle, which had a gun inside, as well as two people, ages 15 and 16, who they believe dropped the 16-year-old off. The two have since been charged with violation of the Uniforms Firearm Act.
The teen is expected to recover from his injuries.
Neighbor Shierea Owens said she was in tears having to explain to her 7-year-old daughter what was happening as they walked through their usually quiet neighborhood and discovered a crime scene.
“To turn the corner and see all of the cops and then to get closer and ask what happened and to hear that it’s happening to children – we have to do better as a community. We have to take accountability.”
As of now, there is no further information on the cause of the shooting and whether or not the two incidents are related.
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CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this article, the location of the home where the shooting took place was incorrect. The article has been updated to reflect the correction.