Woman, 79, struck by stray bullet on North Philadelphia porch

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Two senior citizens were shot while doing something many of us may take for granted - simply being outside.

Over the course of eight hours on Tuesday a 70-year-old man and a 79-year-old woman were hit by stray bullets in North Philadelphia. One was sitting on her porch, the other was walking down the street.

Fortunately, both are okay.

79-year-old Lula Mae Tillman showed Action News where a bullet grazed her leg and a piece of it lodged into her ankle. She says doctors decided against removing it. She also has injuries from when she ran from gunfire.

Ms. Tillman tells us, "I jumped up to run and fell, fell on my knee. And when I fell on my knee I felt the bullet, and I hollered and called my son and told him I had been shot. And they ran, I saw the blood was everywhere."

70-year-old George Carrington is using a cane and still has a bandage on his foot from where a bullet grazed him.

Just blocks apart in unrelated shootings both seniors became innocent bystanders yesterday.

Carrington was wounded first. It was around 2:30 in the afternoon in the 2900 N. 26th Street when two shooters opened fire on a person on a bike. But the bullet found Carrington while he did repairs on a neighbor's porch.

"I just felt a sting in my leg, my foot," he said.

The 70-year-old, who is in great shape, got up and ran.

Carrington tells us, "He was still shooting. I got up from beneath the porch and hid behind a tree."

Hours later around 10:30 p.m. in the 2800 block N. 25th Street, Tillman was sitting on her porch when two doors down young men she didn't recognize began arguing, and at least one opened fire, hitting her.

Even though both are home and alive it's unsettling, especially with the shooters still out there.

The descriptions of the shooters are vague, but police want any information that's out there. If you believe you have information that can help investigators, call 215-686-TIPS.