PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gunshots broke up the late-morning bustle along a busy West Philadelphia commercial corridor on Tuesday, sending a 16-year-old boy to the hospital and leaving shoppers feeling unprotected.
Police say an exchange of gunfire erupted in an apparent shootout at 11:10 a.m. Tuesday on the busy sidewalk outside Ajwa Islamic Fashion and Books, on 52nd Street, between Chestnut and Market streets.
A bullet hit a teenage boy in his back. He was rushed to the hospital. His condition is unknown.
“Popping a 16-year-old right in front of the Muslim store is … damn, that’s a bad jawn,” said Tashiek, a young man on his way to the library when the boy was shot.
“This is crazy, bro—16-year-old—that’s wild, bro.”
He should know. Tashiek says he has survived being shot.
Bullets shattered a window at Ajwa. Shopkeepers declined to comment, but customers were distraught.
Mika, a shopper, walked up to the store in the aftermath, hoping to get in, only to find a cordon of yellow police tape and a field of glass shards.
“It … wasn't even 12 o'clock, yet,” she said.
The shooting brought out feelings of hopelessness.
“It's just a regular day. The store’s about to open back up, and everybody’s gonna move on. Sad,” Mika said. “We need help in Philly. And it's like no one's reaching out to do nothing. It's gonna get worse and worse and worse.”
She and several others watched as police collected several pieces of evidence from the sidewalk.
Police say two people are in custody and two guns were recovered at the scene. Detectives went door to door looking for surveillance video. Philadelphia police have not yet said if they were able to locate any.
“It's just senseless,” Mika said. “And we become so numb to gun violence, and it's sad. It shouldn't be like that. Nobody values life anymore.”