PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — An 18-year-old is in critical condition after a shooting Tuesday evening at an East Germantown recreation center. It was the latest in a string of youth-centered shootings in Philadelphia over the last five days — and happened on the same night as a meeting in response to those incidents.
Authorities said it happened around 5:45 p.m. at the Lonnie Young Recreation Center on Chelten Avenue, near Ardleigh Street. According to officers, the shooting stemmed from a fight that broke out between a group of girls. Shots were fired after other people got involved in the altercation.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found an 18-year-old male with gunshot wounds to the chest. He was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
This marks at least the ninth teenager shot in the city in a five-day span. Investigators did not specify the number of spent shell casings or if they recovered any guns. Police talked to a few people whose relation to the shooting is unknown, but have not identified any suspects.
First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford said given the shooting happened at a playground in broad daylight, things could have been worse.
“From what I’m told, about 40 kids were out here at the time of this incident, so [we're] very lucky that there weren’t any kids that were injured,” he said.
Investigators are trying to determine whether there were one or two shooters. Preliminary video evidence indicates there may have been two.
The shooting happened during an emergency meeting headed by city leaders at the Charles M. Finley Recreation Center in the East Mount Airy neighborhood. That's where three teen boys, ages 14, 15 and 16, were shot on Saturday.
“I will not apologize about making the public safety and health of our city and this community my No. 1 priority,” Mayor Cherelle Parker said at the meeting.
Surveillance Video
The 15-year-old is in critical condition, while the others are expected to be OK. Authorities are holding all three victims as suspects.
Police on Tuesday released surveillance video of another suspect they say was involved in the shooting. He is seen on camera wearing a black mask, a hooded sweatshirt and gray sweatpants. Anyone who recognizes him is asked to call 911 or leave an anonymous tip on the department's website.
Stanford said safety was top-of-mind as Philadelphians approach the summer months.
“To make sure this city is safe, this is obviously one of the biggest components of it,” he said, “making sure that our rec centers are safe places for our kids to play, and safe places for them to enjoy.”
“No matter how tired we are, no matter how distressing this feels, we have to work for our community,” Councilmember Anthony Phillips echoed at the meeting.