Only a day after citywide violence claimed the lives of six people, four more shootings occurred in Philadelphia, killing one man and injuring four others, including a teenager who was an innocent bystander and a person in a wheelchair.
The first shooting occurred at 1:39 p.m. Wednesday on the 1600 block of East Hunting Park Avenue. Police say an unidentified gunman shot a man who was sitting inside a tan Toyota Sequoia. The victim was struck in the underarm and taken to the hospital for treatment. Investigators say the gunman fled in a white SUV. Police later found the vehicle unoccupied at Coral and Valetta streets.
A Philadelphia Police officer who responded to the shooting was also injured after he lost control of his vehicle and crashed on Pratt Street and Roosevelt Boulevard. He was taken to the hospital where he is currently in stable condition.
The second shooting occurred on the 4000 block of Green Street at 5:44 p.m. Police say a suspect and a 25-year-old man were arguing in the street. The argument soon escalated into violence when the suspect took out a gun and fired at least six shots.
The 25-year-old man was struck once in the head and once in the right forearm. A 16-year-old boy, who police believe was an innocent bystander, was also struck in the right knee and once in the right foot. Both victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital. The man is in critical condition while the teen is stable.
Witnesses told NBC10 the shooting occurred in an area where dozens of children were enjoying the record-breaking warm weather.
"It went from hearing kids playing to hearing kids screaming," said Sasha Faust. "There were some really upset children. Their parents were rushing them into their friend's house."
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The witnesses also said they spotted a gold car leave the scene but didn't get a good look at the shooter.
The third shooting occurred at 7:50 p.m. when a gunman shot a 27-year-old man several times on the 2800 block of Huntingdon Street. The man, later identified as Eric Bright of W Oakdale Street, was struck four times in the chest, twice in the back, once to the left side of the face and once on the right side of his neck. Bright was taken to Temple University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:08 p.m. Police recovered the weapon and arrested the suspect at 25th and Cumberland streets.
Finally at 8:17 p.m. three gunmen opened fire on an 18-year-old man in a wheelchair on the 7200 block of Limekiln Pike. The victim was struck once in the face and once in the buttocks. He was found on the sidewalk beside his wheelchair and taken to Einstein Hospital where he is currently in critical condition. Investigators recovered three shell casings only a few feet away from the victim's wheelchair.
"Why he would get shot is a total mystery to me," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small. "Why you would shoot someone who is pretty much defenseless."
No arrests have been made.
Wednesday's shootings followed a violent Tuesday in which six people were killed during shootings and a stabbing spree in Philadelphia. The younger brother of NBA player Dion Waiters was one of the victims of Tuesday's homicides.
Rashetta Robinson, a mother who lives near where the teen boy and 25-year-old were shot, told NBC10 she's concerned for her son's safety given the recent violence.
"He'll be 13 next week," she said. "I'm scared to let him go anywhere or do anything because there is so much violence and crime for no reason."
Philadelphia Police lieutenant John Walker urged community residents to find better ways to resolve disputes.
"They've got to start learning to resolve these conflicts in a better way," he said. "There is no reason to pull out a gun. Let's pick up books and talk to each other. Create dialogue."
If you have information on any of the shootings, please call Philadelphia Police.
