14-year-old charged in shooting of three teens near Dilworth Park ice rink in Center City
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A teen is facing charges after an apparent argument led to a triple shooting on Friday near the ice rink at Dilworth Park in Center City.
Police say about four to five gunshots rang out around 4:30 p.m. following an argument involving several juveniles, according to Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore.
Two 14-year-olds and a 15-year-old were shot, police said. One of the victims was shot in the face and is listed as critical. Two others are listed as stable.
A 14-year-old who was arrested shortly after the shooting is being charged with Aggravated Assault and other charges.
Police do not think the teen was the shooter.
Investigators said over the weekend that the teen would be charged as an adult, but said Monday that is no longer the case.
The view from our Sky 6 camera over the ice rink showed officers cordoning off an area.
The area of the park is always bustling with people, especially this time of year with the Christmas Village and many shopping huts nearby.
One vendor told Action News she and her coworker were on the ground holding hands for about 10 minutes just waiting for some signal that it was OK to get up again.
"We're all trying to stay down. Trying to hide behind the table. It was so scary. We just didn't know what to do," recalled vendor Lily Lough.
Many were in shock this happened right outside City Hall.
"You've got the Christmas Village here, a lot of tourists here watching and coming to the city. So it's just a shame. Nobody should be put in jeopardy," said Gary Samms, Valley Forge.
One witness reported the fight began on the subway, but police have not confirmed that.
Vanore says officers already in the area were able to respond quickly.
Dilworth Park was closed for the remainder of the evening as police investigated.
In a statement on Saturday, Center City District President and CEO Prema Katari Gupta said, "Today, and in the coming days, we will be working with police and city officials to ensure that Dilworth Park remains a safe and welcoming space for everyone. It is important to emphasize that this was an isolated incident at Dilworth Park, which has seen more than 11 million visitors so far this year."
Police said they are still searching for additional suspects in this case. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS.
