This all started as an ongoing dispute between four high school girls and ended with four people shot including a toddler.
"It's just reprehensible that a 2-year-old right now is in critical condition at CHOP," Philadelphia Police Captain Laurence Nodiff said Wednesday.
The 2-year-old girl was one of four people shot when a melee broke out in the 1200 block of South Bucknell in South Philadelphia around 7:30 p.m. last night.
Earlier in the afternoon, four girls, three of whom attend South Philadelphia High School, got into a fistfight.
Later, some of those girls accompanied by a parent showed up at the house on South Bucknell looking for a 14-year-old girl at her grandparents' home.
"They knock on the door. There's an exchange of words. People from the group attempt to enter the house. There's a fight as they attempt to enter the house. People from inside come out of the house and then there's one large brawl outside," Nodiff said.
That crowd fought with sticks and golf clubs.
Then, police say, two young men pulled guns and fired.
One resident, who did not want to be named, says, "I heard the gunshot and that's when I hit the ground."
When the smoke had cleared, 58-year-old Andrea Pointer was hit in the leg. She was recovering at home on Wednesday.
Her 2-year-old granddaughter was shot in the hip, hand, and stomach. She was again listed in critical condition on Wednesday afternoon.
Her 10-year-old grandson was shot in the right leg. He is also recovering at home.
A fourth shooting victim, a 25-year-old man, later showed up at Methodist Hospital with a gunshot wound to the hand.
Police say the fight stemmed from inflammatory Facebook posts back in July.
On Wednesday, police stepped up patrols at South Philadelphia High. Police and school officials addressed the entire student population.
Police fear there may be attempts to retaliate.
"The climate at Southern High was excellent today. It has been throughout this school year. It's unfortunate that this happened. We are addressing this to assure that no future problems occur," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Myron Patterson said.
Police are still searching for the two men who fired into the crowd. They still do not know what their connection is to the incident.
