At least six people were shot in Philadelphia during an eight-hour span on Saturday, a day many families spent outside enjoying the spring weather.
The first shooting happened shortly before 10 a.m. in the 1700 block of Newkirk Street near Brewerytown. The 35-year-old victim was in stable condition, according to Philadelphia police.
Several hours later, 26-year-old Monrell Stewart was killed along Germantown Avenue in the Nicetown neighborhood of North Philadelphia. A 17-year-old was also shot and listed in stable condition, police said.
Two more people were shot in the early evening, about three blocks apart on Haines Street in Germantown. Khary Holmes, 25, died hours later at the hospital. A 27-year-old man was listed in critical condition, according to officials. Police have not said if these two shootings were related.
A sixth victim was shot 10 times in his hands, arms and legs around 9:15 p.m. in the 1200 block of South 15th Street. He was taken to a local hospital in stable condition. No weapons were recovered at the scene, police said.
More than 80 have been killed in Philadelphia since the start of 2019, according to police homicide data. That marks an 11 percent increase from this time last year.
The rise has been largely attributed, by several city officials, to drug-related crimes as Philadelphia grapples with a stubborn opioid epidemic.
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Police did not respond to a request for comment.
