15-year-old shot, injured near Temple University in North Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A teenager was shot and injured near Temple University in North Philadelphia on Monday afternoon.

It happened just before 4 p.m. on the 1400 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

Authorities say a 15-year-old was found at the scene suffering from a gunshot wound to his hip.

The victim was transported to Temple University Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.

He is a student with the School District of Philadelphia, according to school officials.

Investigators say the suspected shooter appeared to be a similar age as the victim and immediately fled onto the subway.

There is no word yet on what may have sparked the shooting.

Action News spoke with a student who was near the scene when the shooting took place.

"We were playing basketball right around the corner with my friends. I heard like, a loud bang," said Harshil Patel, a sophomore at Temple.

He said at first, he questioned whether what he heard was gunshots or construction.

Then, Temple University officials released an alert advising students to stay clear of the area.

University officials say no students or faculty were involved in this incident.

Action News also spoke with Henry Collins, the owner of Mecca -- a unisex salon on Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

He said he's worked at the salon for nearly 30 years, and in that time, the block has changed from what it used to be.

"On this block or any block around here, they need to have visual police with guns," said Collins. "They got to be posted, standing on the block around the clock, 24/7. Until you do that it's gonna keep going on and on."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or Temple police at 215-204-1234.