14-year-old hospitalized after shots fired into group in Philadelphia's Fairhill section

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A 14-year-old boy is recovering after police said he told them he was shot while standing with a group of friends Tuesday night.

Investigators said several witnesses reported hearing gunshots around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday and saw a group of what appeared to be at least 10 teenagers running down the 2600 block of North Franklin Street in the city's Fairhill section.

What police know so far is that the 14-year-old was apparently hanging out with several friends at Lehigh Ave. and Franklin St. when shots were fired into the crowd, striking him in the back.

They say the boy was able to run down Franklin St., where police found him.

"He was conscious, police picked him up, rushed him to St Christopher's Hospital, where he is in stable condition with a gunshot wound to his back," said Chief Inspector Scott Small, with the Philadelphia Police Department.

Crime scene investigators are now checking surveillance video and trying to sort out who all fired shots because they also found a shell casing in the middle of the block.

"We know three shots were fired from what appears to be two separate caliber semi-automatic weapons," Small said. "We don't have a description of the shooter or the shooters at this time, nor do we have a motive."

According to data from the city, the number of juveniles shot in Philadelphia so far this year is down by nearly half compared to this time last year.

The data shows that 20 people younger than 18 were shot so far this year, compared to 37 shot this time last year.