OUTBREAK OF VIOLENCE: Philadelphia averaging roughly 1 murder a day to start 2020

Maggie Kent Image
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Philadelphia averaging roughly 1 murder a day to start 2020
OUTBREAK OF VIOLENCE: Philadelphia averaging roughly 1 murder a day as reported during Action News at 11 on January 13, 2020.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are investigating a deadly shooting in the city's West Oak Lane section Monday.

It happened just after 11 a.m. on the 1900 block of Georgian Road.

Police said a 19-year-old man was found lying on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds to his head.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by responding medics.

RELATED: City of Philadelphia's "Roadmap to Safer Communities"

This shooting comes on the heels of a particularly violent weekend across the city, with more than seven left dead over the past few days. We're now averaging more than one murder each day.

The motives in each case have varied.

"One domestic, one was a dispute, at least two were drug related, involving different factions. So the motives are all different. But the end of the day anger does play a big role in it," said Acting Police Commissioner Christine Coulter.

Just before 5:30 p.m. Monday, police rushed to the 2600 block of Cumberland Street in the city's Strawberry Mansion section for reports of a shooting. Officers found a 26-year-old man who had been shot dead in the neck and chest.

"It appears that the shooter was standing very close to this victim and therefore he appears to be the intended victim," said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

As of 11 p.m. Monday, there have been 16 murders in the City of Philadelphia this year.

Residents say the killings are completely out of control.

"I mean I had to come outside, I had to go to work and I seen a body. And I get off work and then I see another body," said Kimani Spencer

Mayor Jim Kenney says it's the number one priority and problem in Philadelphia, which requires more than one solution.

"Continue to invest in poverty curing measures, continue to invest in education so our kids don't have to go this route, continue to invest in job training and other skills so that people can get a job," said Kenney.

Mayor Kenney went on to say there needs to be a focus on police-community relations.

"When people say get tough on crime, and crack down, and stop everybody in every neighborhood of the city and throw guys on cars and frisk them, then the neighborhood doesn't want to talk to police. So we have to have a relationship with our communities that people trust," said Kenney.

Police are investigating each incident separately.

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