According to police, the call came in around 3 p.m. for a shooting near the intersection of Rowland and Ryan avenues, which is just outside Lincoln High School.
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Jeffrey Carter, 66, was fatally shot in the head by a stray bullet and a 16-year-old student from the nearby high school was shot in the back of the head as he ran away, police said.
Carter, who was driving by the scene, crashed his SUV off the road and was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.
Dennis Meyer, the victim's brother-in-law, said he thought of Carter as a friend. He said the man had an unshakable devotion to his family.
"We used to visit all the graves of our family, his family and it was just a tradition. Now, I got one more stop to keep the tradition," Meyer said.
Family members said Carter retired a few years ago as a maintenance engineer at Frankford Hospital.
"(He) loved his grandkids, coming to those softball games, football games. (He was) just awesome," said Carter's son-in-law, David Jewell.
The 16-year-old who was shot was taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital where he remains in critical condition.
Detectives say two plainclothes officers were in an unmarked cruiser as the gunfire erupted and witnessed the incident unfold. The officers say there was a group of teens outside of a pizza shop when a 21-year-old gunman showed up and opened fire.
Shooting investigation underway near Philadelphia high school
"An altercation now turns into a shooting, which now turns into a homicide because of something that could have been handled in a different way," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.
After the shots were fired, the plainclothes officers got out of their vehicle and pulled their weapons.
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According to neighbors, the past few weeks have been filled with violence.
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"It's been nothing but fighting, every day," said Debbie Rue of Mayfair.
Police have charged 21-year old Aaron Scott in connection with the shooting.
In addition to the gunman, police also arrested a second suspect.