20 shot, 5, fatally, during series of Philadelphia shootings Thursday afternoon into Friday
Anyone with information is asked to call Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The mayor of Philadelphia and police commissioner are speaking out after officers responded to a series of shootings in a 15-hour span Thursday afternoon to early Friday morning that left at least five dead and more than a dozen others injured.
Mayor's Response
"The amount of violent incidents over the past 24 hours in our city is devastating. The surge in gun violence that we've seen makes me not just heartbroken, but angry. Our administration continues to work relentlessly to reduce violence and create safer communities for everyone," Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement Friday afternoon, sent out in a series of tweets on his official Twitter account.
"I can't reinforce enough how tragic and needless this loss of life is. Until we address the availability and ease of access to firearms, we will always be fighting an uphill battle," Kenney said. "My deepest sympathies go out to the loved ones of those affected by violence."
The mayor continued, "Our commitment to solving this crisis is demonstrated by the expansion in violence prevention funding proposed in our latest #PHLBudget. We plan to invest over $184M to make communities safer. We continue to do everything we can to protect Philadelphians."
"Philly Police is investigating these crimes and they continue to take a record number of illegal firearms off our streets. Anyone with information about acts of violence should report it anonymously to 215-686-TIPS so we can prevent these senseless shootings," Kenney said. "I also want to remind people that the City's new 24-hour 2-1-1 violence prevention hotline, a resource hub and preventative tool, can connect residents to violence prevention services and programs. For emergencies, call 9-1-1."
Commissioner's Response
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw also responded in a statement on Twitter to the violent stretch that affected numerous Philadelphia neighborhoods.
"Over the past 24 hours, over 20 people were shot in our city - 5 fatally. The violence and trauma of these incidents extend beyond those directly affected and permeate into the very fabric of our communities. We are committed to seeking justice for victims and their families," Outlaw said.
She added, "If you have any information on any of these incidents, please call or text our tipline at 215-686- TIPS. You can remain anonymous. Keep in mind, there's also a $20k reward for information that leads to a conviction."
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Philadelphia police report from Thursday morning to Friday morning there were more than 20 people shot.
Action News has a timeline of the violence from 1:45 p.m. Thursday to 4:42 a.m., covering 15 hours, which saw at least five people killed, 17 wounded by gunfire and one stabbed.
The numbers are sobering for a mother who feels her family isn't safe anymore.
"I want to get out of Philly actually. It's too much. You don't feel safe walking to the store or nowhere you go," said Ashley Garrett.
Thursday Afternoon
The violent afternoon began around 1:45 p.m. Thursday when police say a 37-year-old woman was shot one time in the upper thigh near F and Lippincott streets in Kensington. She was rushed to Temple University Hospital and placed in stable condition.
At approximately 2:05 p.m., police say three men were shot on the 4000 block of Wallace Street.
Police say a 21-year-old man was shot in the hand, an 18-year-old man suffered a graze wound to the head and a 24-year-old man was shot in the thigh and arm.
All three men were rushed by private car to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Police say the 21-year-old and 18-year-old are critical, while the 24-year-old is stable.
A man, in his late teens to early 20s, was shot and killed around 2:10 p.m. on the 400 block of Manton Street in South Philadelphia.
A 28-year-old man and a 65-year-old man were both shot around 2:12 p.m. on the 1700 block of N. 31st Street in the city's Brewerytown section. Both victims were placed in critical condition at Temple University Hospital.
A 25-year-old woman was shot in the upper thigh on the 6500 block of Walker Street around 2:41 p.m. She was rushed to an area hospital, but there was no word on her condition.
Police say a 33-year-old man was also found suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died.
Just before 3 p.m., police say an 18-year-old man was shot two times in the knee on the 4400 block of Holden Street in the city's Powelton section. He was rushed to an area hospital and placed in stable condition.
Thursday Evening
Police say a 22-year-old man was shot on the 3400 block of Braddock Street around 5:30 p.m. in Port Richmond. He was taken to a nearby hospital and placed in critical but stable condition.
Several suspects were arrested and police believe the victim may have also been firing a weapon.
Around 6:12 p.m., police say a 37-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were both shot multiple times on the 4900 block of Whitaker Avenue in Feltonville. The 37-year-old victim is expected to survive while the 33-year-old victim remains in critical condition.
The male driver told police that he was driving the female victim to her weekly medical appointment when they were both shot inside the vehicle.
"He believes around F Street and Whitaker, while he was driving to Einstein (Medical Center), taking the 33-year-old woman to Einstein, that's when his van was struck by gunfire," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.
Thursday Night
In Southwest Philadelphia, around 10:10 p.m., police say two people were shot at 67th Street and Greenway Avenue.
At least 13 shots were fired.
"They were both 32 years of age, and they both were shot multiple times in the chest, torso, and the back," Small said.
Both victims were transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where they were pronounced dead.
In West Philadelphia, around 10:53 p.m., a 20-year-old man was shot twice, once in the left thigh and once in the back, at Lancaster Avenue and Bible Way.
Police say an SUV pulled up to the victim's red Honda Civic.
"Two individuals on the passenger side of the vehicle opened fire on that red Honda striking the vehicle at least 20 times," Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace said.
Police say he managed to run to a gas station for help.
"Some good Samaritans were about it to take him to the hospital in their private vehicle when police arrived," Pace said.
He is listed in stable condition.
Just minutes later, around 10:56 p.m., on the 200 block of South Millick Street in Cobbs Creek, a 22-year-old man was shot in the lower block. Police say he ran about half a block where officers found him. He is listed in critical condition at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
"(The scene) consists of three spent shell casings from two separate caliber semi-automatic weapons. We also found a rifle round fully intact that was not fired," Small said.
Around 11:32 p.m. in Hunting Park, a 33-year-old man was shot on Waterloo Street. Police say he was able to walk to Temple Hospital's emergency room where he is in stable condition. A bullet hole was visible in the windshield of a car at the scene.
At approximately 11:57 p.m. Thursday in Tioga, a 54-year-old woman was shot in the left hand on the 2200 block of West Westmoreland Street. She was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Early Friday Morning
Just after midnight, a 38-year-old male shooting victim ran into the Presidential City Apartments for help on City Avenue in Wynnefield Heights.
Police say he was shot twice in the neck. The victim was conscious as he was placed in an ambulance, but police say he was not cooperating. He is listed as stable at Lankenau Medical Center.
At 3:55 a.m., on the 1100 block of Hunting Park Avenue, police say a 32-year-old man was shot once in the left calf. He was taken to Temple University Hospital in stable condition.
At approximately 4:42 a.m., a 30-year-old male was shot while inside a car on the unit block of South Redfield Street in West Philadelphia. Police say the victim was shot in the lower back.
He was taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia but died a short time later.
Police continue to search for several suspects in connection with these shootings.
In addition to the shootings, police say an 18-year-old female was stabbed seven times on the 1200 block of West Erie Avenue. She was able to walk to Temple Hospital and was placed in stable condition.
Anyone with information on these crimes is asked to call 215-686-TIPS.
