Photo Credit: Fox 29
A mass shooting in Southwest Philadelphia on July 4th resulted in one fatality and eight injuries. The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. near South 60th Street and Kingsessing Avenue, as reported by NBC affiliate WCAU. The victims included five adults and four children, with one adult succumbing to their injuries. The conditions of the eight survivors have not been disclosed.
Police were alerted to the shooting when officers on patrol were flagged down by one of the victims. Additional officers found a total of nine people struck by gunfire, including four juveniles between the ages of 16 and 17. Some victims were transported to local hospitals in private vehicles, while others were found at the scene. Medics transported victims to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's Cedar Avenue location, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Delaware County.
The crime scene spanned over two blocks, with several spent shell casings discovered, but no weapons recovered. Authorities have not provided a description of any suspects or a possible motive. "At this point, there's no motive whatsoever that we're aware of right now," said Inspector Kpana Massaquoi of the Philadelphia Police Department. Massaquoi also noted the alarming nature of the incident, especially considering officers were present in the area to prevent such events.
The shooting occurred one year and one day after a deadly rampage in the same neighborhood that left five people dead and several others wounded. The community had recently held a vigil to honor the victims of that previous incident. "It is very alarming, especially when we had officers in the area to try to prevent anything like this from happening and it still happened," Massaquoi emphasized.
Authorities continue to search for the individuals responsible for this latest act of violence in Philadelphia.
