Woman carrying baby, 2 others shot in Point Breeze

POINT BREEZE (WPVI) -- A woman carrying a baby was among two innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire in what police say was a bizarre shooting at a busy Point Breeze intersection in broad daylight.

It happened around 4:35 p.m. Monday at 18th and Wharton streets. That's where police have found 17 shell casings.

Police say a 32-year-old mother who was carrying her 10-month-old baby boy was struck by a stray bullet in her left upper arm close to her shoulder.

"And the baby was being carried on the woman's chest, so the baby's head and torso was probably just inches from where the bullet struck his mother," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

A few feet away, a 62-year-old woman was struck in the leg by another stray bullet.

Both women were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in stable condition.

Both are said to be innocent bystanders.

A third person, a 40-year-old man, was shot in the leg, also listed in stable. It's unclear if he was the intended target.

"The description of our shooter right now was just a male wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt who possibly entered a dark colored Ford F-150 pickup truck," Small said.

Meanwhile, a 32-year-old male carrying a handgun suffered a broken toe as he fled the scene in fear.

Police say he had a permit to carry and was not involved in the shooting.

They still don't know what the shooting was about.

"We're just really fortunate that all three victims are going to survive. Two of them that we're certain are just innocent victims, struck by stray gunfire," Small said.

Police are reviewing surveillance video to see if it caught any part of the incident.

For three years, Gar Viteri owner of the Pharmacy Coffee Shop has called the intersection home.

"My whole past few years has been put into this place and making it the safest we possibly can inside and out," Viteri said.

With all that time and effort put in, what happened is heartbreaking.

"It seems like we've dealt with a shooting like this at least once a year since I've been here," Viteri said.