PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Three people were wounded when dozens of shots were fired at a South Philadelphia bar Tuesday night. Police are trying to figure out who pulled the trigger and where they went.
It happened at Merly’s Cafe, near Seventh Street and Oregon Avenue, a little before 9 p.m. Police rushed over when 911 calls came in about shots being fired.
“We found a large amount of blood, some of the spent shell casings. And most of the bar stools were knocked over,” Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters on the scene.
Around 30 shots were fired inside and outside the bar, police said. Three men in their 30s were hit and taken to the hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.
A car that was parked nearby was also hit by gunfire. Police were not initially sure of a motive, and it was not clear how many customers were at the bar when the shots were fired. Investigators interviewed several employees, including a bartender, Small said. A gun was also recovered.
It was another instance of gun violence in Philadelphia, though shootings have dropped compared to the same time last year. Heading into this week, shooting incidents were down 23% and the number of shooting victims in the city was down 27%, according to the latest data from the Philadelphia Police Department.