Suspect identified in shooting that left 10-month-old baby wounded in Kensington
Police say the baby was being held by her mother when she was shot in the hand.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police have identified the suspect wanted for a shooting during a wedding celebration at a home in the Kensington section that left a 10-month-old baby wounded.
Santos Diaz, 45, allegedly fired shots outside a home on the corner of East Ontario and Emerald streets around 10:40 a.m. Sunday.
The baby was being held by her mother when one of the bullets struck her hand.
The girl was taken to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children where she was placed in stable condition.
The baby's mother was not injured.
Police say a 17-year-old suffered a graze wound to the leg but he did not require any medical attention.
"The individual was part of the gathering," Lt. Robert Brockenbrough with the Philadelphia Police Department said on Sunday. "There's been a lot of gun violence in Philadelphia, so you just have to be careful. This started as a friendly gathering and escalated to this."
Anyone with information on Diaz's whereabouts is asked to call Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS.
The baby who was shot is the 8th child younger than 10 years old to be shot in the city this year.
While Philadelphia police search for the shooter who injured that baby, Penn Presbyterian Hospital staff are working to prevent shootings.
"Take care of each other. Everyone is hurting right now," said Injury Prevention Coordinator Sunny Jackson.
Every day Jackson heads into Penn Presbyterian Hospital tasked with one goal.
"Preventing injury before it happens is the end goal of my job," she said.
Part of that is assistance for victims of violence including mental health, job support and housing resources. Jackson also provides free gun locks to those who need them.
A lock could have prevented a 3-year-old boy from accidentally shooting himself this weekend in a grocery store parking lot in Caln Township.
"A child was located in the vehicle... and at some point accessed a firearm and the firearm discharged, striking the child in the lower torso," said Caln Township Police Chief Joseph Elias.
Both children will survive the shooting incidents.
If you are interested in receiving a free gun lock, contact Sunny Jackson at sunny.jackson@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
