Philadelphia police are searching for the person who shot and killed a woman early Thursday morning. Investigators say the woman appeared to be using a cane. NBC10’s Miguel Martinez-Valle has the latest on the search for her killer.
A 64-year-old woman, who police say appeared to be using a cane, was shot in the back and killed early Thursday morning in the Kingsessing section of Southwest Philadelphia.
Police officers patrolling near the intersection of South 52nd Street and Greenway Avenue heard what sounded like gunshots around 2:45 a.m. on Feb. 20, 2025, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
"They found a 64-year-old woman laying on the highway unresponsive," Small said. "Initially they didn't know whether she was shot or struck by a vehicle."
The officers quickly determined it was in fact a shooting as 911 calls for gunfire started to come in, Small said. Neighbors later said they heard several shots.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Officers rushed the 64-year-old woman -- later identified as Afdera Hatten -- to the hospital where she died a short time later, Small said. At the hospital, it was determined Hatten had been shot multiple times in her back and torso.
At the intersection of 52nd and Greenway, investigators found evidence that at least 11 shots were fired from a semi-automatic firearm just a few feet from where police found the woman on top of a cane, Small said.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
"We believe this cane may have belonged to the 64-year-old since she was found laying on top of this cane," Small said.
A witness told investigators that a person dressed in all black was seen running from the deadly shooting scene, Small said. The motive for the shooting wasn't clear.
Hatten's last known address is just blocks from where she was killed, investigators said.
People in the neighborhood who knew Hatten as "Penny" and said she had recently fallen on hard times.
"She was my friend," Daniel Holmes said. "I talked to her, I helped her, I gave her money, I gave her clothes, I gave her whatever."
Philadelphia continues to grapple with deadly gun violence even as homicides decrease year over year. Entering Thursday, at least 30 homicides have been reported in Philadelphia in 2025, down about 37% year over year and the lowest homicide total at this point of the year since 2016, according to Philadelphia police data.
Year-to-date, shooting victims in Philadelphia are down from 134 in 2024 to 114 so far in 2025, according to data.
"Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or submit tips anonymously through the PPD tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477)," police said. "A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction."
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
