PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Police say a 15-year-old boy in their custody is connected to at least three different shootings, including an incident over the weekend in North Philadelphia and two others earlier this month.
On Friday night at Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, police say, four teenage girls were in a car, near a group of young men hanging out on the corner.
"One of the males walked up to the car to get a phone number from one of the young ladies in the rear seat," Capt. John Walker said. The girl rolled down her window, but then seven or eight men surrounded the car, and the girls panicked.
They used pepper spray to try to get them away from the car, and the men ran, but one of them fired eight gunshots at the car, Walker said. Police say six bullets hit the passenger side.
A 17-year-old girl in the front passenger seat was shot in the leg, and a 16-year-old girl in the back seat was shot in the back. Both girls were taken to the hospital and have since been released.
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Authorities credit a police air unit, as well as tips from the community on the alleged shooter, for finding the suspect. He was spotted in the area of 20th Street and Montgomery Avenue, apparently carrying a gun.
"The male ducked behind a car, handed that gun off to a 14-year-old,” Walked said. “That 14-year-old took off running.”
Police say he ran toward his grandmother's home.
"The grandmother tried to keep him from getting into the house. He pushed through the grandmother, took the gun, and put it into the kitchen cabinet," Walker said.
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He said police officers saw what happened, and they were able to secure the home and recover the handgun.
The 14-year-old was charged, but police say has been released. Police believe the 15-year-old is involved in two other incidents.
One happened on March 14 on the 1500 block of Gratz Street, where the 15-year-old and the 14-year-old allegedly shot at a home.
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Walker says the 15-year-old is also believed to be connected to a shooting on March 5, also at Broad and Cecil B. Moore, where police believe he and another male pulled a gun and critically injured a 14-year-old.
"Kids are kids, and they should be playing basketball, football,” Walked said. “As we sit here with March Madness, seeing these young athletes do what they do, these kids in the city have the same opportunities. And seeing these kids resorting to carrying guns to resolve situations that can be helped with conflict resolutions, some strong parenting — it's horrifying to all of us to see kids in these formative years of life who should be out there, enjoying life.”
Walker says the 15-year-old is held on a $2 million bail. As of Monday afternoon, he was still in custody. He faces several charges, including four counts of attempted murder.