Police: Stray bullet hits day care after gun battle outside rec center in Lawncrest
Police say it all started as suspects were breaking into a Mustang when the owner showed up and tried to stop them.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- An attempted car theft in Philadelphia's Lawncrest neighborhood led to a gun battle outside of a recreation center on Thursday afternoon.
It happened around 5:30 p.m. outside of the Lawncrest Recreation Center at Rising Sun Avenue and Comly Street.
Police say it all started as suspects were breaking into a Mustang when the owner showed up and tried to stop them.
"I came out to do the laundry and I see some young boys try to steal a car. Then the owner showed up and they started pulling out guns and bullets were flying everywhere," said a witness.
In total 27 shots were fired.
But it wasn't just the Mustang that was shot, so was another car and tragically the day care.
Police confirm a bullet went through a window with five employees and five children inside.
Luckily, it missed everyone.
"The children were all between the ages of two and four and they were in the play area, and that's where the bullet entered the property," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.
No bullets went into the Lawncrest Recreation Center, which had 10 kids inside.
SEE ALSO: New cameras going up around Philadelphia rec centers to crack down on violence
This comes a day after the city announced the installation of 100 new cameras around rec centers to deter this exact situation.
The program cost taxpayers $5 million to implement.
Brett Bessler, a Local 2186 union representative for some recreation center employees, says it's a step in the right direction.
But he says the city needs to beef up funding for more staff.
"When you staff up, we're able to provide more programming and we're able to make our community spaces more vibrant, and with that occurrences like this will decrease," said Bessler.
Nearly 300 incidents of gun violence have been reported near parks and recreation centers since 2019.
RELATED: Check the 6abc Neighborhood Safety Tracker
