A teenage girl was killed and several were injured on Friday, when a shooting broke out as officers were trying to break up a large party in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, police said.
The incident happened just before 11 p.m. on the 2400 block of Greenland Drive Friday night, according to police.
Police said a total of five teens were shot.
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During the incident, a 17-year-old girl died after being shot in her chest and right shoulder. The girl's family later identified her as Isya Stanley.
Officials said Stanley was part of a large crowd of at least 100 teens and young adults who gathered at the park.
According to police, the deadly shooting happened as officers were on the scene trying to disperse the crowd and enforce curfew regulations when they heard shots ring out.
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Police said an 18-year-old girl suffered a gunshot wound to the right leg, a 14-year-old boy had been shot in the abdomen, a 15-year-old boy suffered from a gunshot wound to the left leg, and another 15-year-old boy was shot in the left leg. All are listed in stable condition.
Some of the injured teens were rushed to the hospital by police, others arrived at area hospitals as walk-ins, police said.
"We do not know what spurred this shooting. What motivated it. If any of these five victims were targeted. We just don't have that information yet. It's still too early in the investigation," said Inspector D.F. Pace of the Philadelphia Police Department.
Police told NBC10 it is a large crime scene area; they found about a dozen spent shell casings and expect to find even more as they continue to search the area.
No arrests have been made and no weapons have been recovered, police said.
Victim's family speaks out
Stanley's family told NBC10 that she had just graduated from high school and was looking forward to college.
“I’m heartbroken. That’s my only daughter," her dad said.
Her parents, Iself and Regina Stanley, shared photos of her in her cap and gown on the day of her graduation.
In an interview with NBC10, her parents said how proud they were of her.
“My daughter was very good and she had a very, very bright future,” her father said.
Her dad spoke out about this devastating loss to their family right before Father's Day on Sunday.
“I gotta celebrate Father’s Day without my daughter. It’s really hurtful situation," he said.
Family and friends gathered for a vigil to honor Stanley Sunday afternoon.
“I just pray that nobody else has to bury this pain. It’s not an easy thing to bare and I hope whoever did it comes to the light," Stanley's mother said.
Neighbors react to the shooting
Neighbors told NBC10 that there were about 100 teenagers hanging out for a few hours. The crowd became so big that it spilled from the park to a gas station.
"Basically, you couldn't get your car out of the parking lot. I was trying to go to the Chinese store, and I couldn't pick up my food," Breyana Jones, who witnessed the incident, said.
Currently, there is a curfew in the city of Philadelphia that starts at 10 p.m. every night.
"My kids was frightened. It was just crazy. It was so scary, and all you could do was just pray," Tutu Jones said of the moments of the shooting.
Data from the city says that homicides are down about 38% compared to this time last year. Some say they are worried that as the weather gets warmer and kids are not in school, crime is going to surge again.
Mayor Cherelle Parker said her administration is working to prevent that from happening.
"Remember the PIE: prevention, intervention, and enforcement...That's arts, that's culture, that's education, that's workforce development, and quality programming for the young people," Parker said.
At the Fathership Foundation in West Philadelphia, they specialize in these root issues and offer free after school and summer programs to keep kids busy and off the streets.
Founder Dr. Johnathan Wilson points to social media and access to weapons.
"If you give kids guns without supervision, what do you think they're going to do? They're not responsible gun owners. They're kids. They're literally, five years ago, they were 10," Wilson said.
This is a developing story check back for updates.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
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