Two people were shot, including a pregnant woman, in West Philly Tuesday night. A day later and less than a mile away, two teens were fatally shot near a preschool. NBC10’s Stephanía Jiménez gets reactions from the community.
A gunman shot and killed two teenage boys and injured a third teen in West Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon.
Two 15-year-old boys and an 18-year-old man were inside a car near a preschool on the 200 block of North 56th Street when a gunman opened fire.
One of the 15-year-old victims and the 18-year-old were both shot multiple times in the chest and stomach while the third teen was shot in the left shoulder.
Both the 15-year-old and 18-year-old victims died from their injuries while the third teen is in stable condition.
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No arrests have been made and a weapon has not been recovered.
The nearby preschool was placed on lockdown which was later lifted.
The shooting occurred about a half a mile away from where a pregnant woman and man were shot Tuesday night.
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"It's heartbreaking that you hear a girl shot and she's pregnant. Anybody can get shot so I really hope that she's okay," Sabrina McLean told NBC10.
With 309 homicides reported in the city as of Tuesday night, Philadelphia is on pace to have its deadliest year on record.
City leaders, including councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) have called for Mayor Kenney to declare a citywide emergency due to the gun violence crisis.
Kenney wrote a letter to Gauthier stating he doesn’t plan on declaring one because it would have no impact in strengthening his administration’s current anti-violence efforts.
Those efforts include allocating over $150 million to gun violence prevention in the recently approved 2022 budget, weekly meetings with Philadelphia police and other agencies to help find solutions and participating in a national initiative made up of 15 cities across the country to collaborate on violence intervention strategies.
During the latest meeting, Kenney addressed the fact that many young people have been the victims of the gun violence.
"This is a sadness that should affect every Philadelphian. We're losing a generation of young people," he said.
Kenney also said a major portion of the $150 million will go towards mental health services for gun violence victims and their families.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
