A violent outbreak at a neighborhood gathering in Philadelphia’s Parkside district resulted in nine people being shot early Saturday morning, with one of the victims succumbing to their injuries. The incident occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m. on North Creighton Street, where a block party was in full swing.
According to Philadelphia Police Captain Anthony Mirabella Jr., the emergency services received a flurry of 911 calls reporting a shooting on the highway with multiple victims and numerous gunshots heard in the vicinity. Police investigations revealed that at least 38 shots were fired in what seemed to be a shootout at the location.
The block party was well-attended when the shooting began, police reports indicate. In the immediate aftermath, two victims were transported to the hospital by police, two others were taken by ambulance, and one was dropped off at Penn Presbyterian Hospital in a private vehicle. Approximately an hour later, two more victims arrived at the same hospital. Later in the afternoon, two teenage victims were admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Among the victims was a 19-year-old man who had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at 5:40 a.m. The other victims included two 17-year-old girls, two 20-year-old women, two 21-year-old women, a 47-year-old man, and a 51-year-old woman. One of the 20-year-old women sustained a minor shoulder injury, while the rest of the victims are in stable condition in the hospital.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and no arrests have been made so far. This incident follows a shooting that took place on the same block just two days prior, where a 30-year-old man was fatally shot at his doorstep. While arrests were made in that case, police have not confirmed if the two incidents are related.
The escalating violence has left residents questioning when local authorities will take action. In response, Mayor Jim Kenney stated that his administration is doing everything possible to curb the violence, noting a 20% decrease in shootings compared to the same period last year. However, some residents are demanding immediate action to address the ongoing violence.