A man is recovering after he was shot at a large gathering in Southwest Philadelphia, police said.
Police responded to 60th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard on Sunday around 9:35 p.m. after receiving multiple reports of a person shot.
When police arrived, they found a 37-year-old man who was suffering from a gunshot wound to the back. The man was taken to the hospital where he is currently in stable condition. No arrests have been made, police have not released a description of any suspects and a weapon has not been recovered. Police are working to gather any possible surveillance footage from nearby businesses and homes as the investigation continues.
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Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace said a “number of individuals” were at the scene of the shooting, which he described as an illegal outdoor speakeasy that covered multiple acres and included food, beverages, tables, pool tables and decorations. Pace told NBC10 they will shut the operation down though they haven’t determined who owns the land where the speakeasy was operating.
“At this time, we believe it is possibly city-owned but it’s too early to tell,” Pace said. “We’re going to now enlist the help of other city agencies to determine exactly who that property belongs to. And it may belong to multiple owners. We’re not sure. It’s that vast a piece of land that was being used for this illegal meeting place.”
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Those who owned part of the outdoor space where the shooting took place denied that it's a speakeasy, however. Jefferey Harmon told NBC10 on Monday that the five acres of land serve as a meeting place for the city's Liberian community.
"I don't know what went on but this is a community center. It's not a speakeasy. This is an African community center," Harmon said. "We're giving voter registration. Education."
Harmon said the shooting happened in a grassy area that's outside of the community center's perimeter and owned by the city.
"When they stay out there, they claim it's a government line," Samuel Marah, a community member, told NBC10. "So they tell me that I have no authority over there. So when they come, they stay over there and do whatever they want to do."
Harmon and Marah said they were hosting Liberia's Independence Day at the outdoor space over the weekend. They also said there had never been a violent incident on or near the property until Sunday and they're concerned about their young relatives who were born in America and falling into a corrupt lifestyle.
"Drugs. Some can't handle it. Once they take what is beyond their control, they start acting out," Marah said. "And little things can trigger them. Next thing you know, gone."
No arrests have been made in the shooting. Philadelphia police continue to investigate.
