Philadelphia homicide rate at 250 after 3 shootings

PORT RICHMOND (WPVI) -- A gunman is on the loose after police say two men were shot dead inside a home in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia.

Detectives spent Monday evening combing through the home on the 3600 block of Jasper Street, where a neighborhood is on edge following this latest act of gun violence.

Police say thea gunman fired a barrage of bullets inside the home around 3:10 p.m., killing a 20-year-old resident and another man believed to be in his late 20s.

"It was a really violent scene; there was a lot of blood, but it was clear each were shot at least one time in the head, they may have been shot more because we did find at least nine shell casings," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

Police say there was no sign of forced entry and it is likely the gunman knew the victims.

Monday's double shooting pushed the city's homicide total to 249, passing last year's total of 248.

The city's 250th homicide happened about an hour later in Tioga-Nicetown. Detectives say a 19-year-old man was shot multiple times.

"This is just ridiculous," Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said.

Ramsey tells Action News that police can only do so much and the community has to step up.

"People have to stop it. Listen, this is all part of all part of what we're up against in law enforcement, and when we make arrests people say it's disproportionate, but look at the victims," Ramsey said.

Police stats show the majority of homicide victims are male minorities.

Three shootings in one day and more families struggling with the loss of loved ones to gun violence.