A man was shot Tuesday night at a Southwest Philadelphia hotel during a family reunion. Police say eyewitnesses help them catch a suspect. NBC10’s George Spencer has details
A man is in the hospital after police say he was shot in the face inside a hotel during a family reunion.
Police say the reunion was being held inside the 4 Points by Sheraton Hotel on the 4100 block of Island Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia Tuesday night.
According to investigators, the 43-year-old father of a 1-year-old child who was at the reunion showed up unexpectedly at the party and got into an argument with another person who was there. Police say it was the first time the father had been around the child since the child's birth.
During the argument, a 34-year-old man asked the father to calm down and invited him to smoke a cigarette with him outside the building, according to officials.
As the two men began to walk through the hallway, the 43-year-old man allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking the 34-year-old in the face.
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Police say the father then exited the hotel and ran across I-95. He was eventually captured however thanks to the help of witnesses, according to investigators.
"An alert cab driver who was waiting to get a fare told us of a suspicious male in the parking lot," said Philadelphia Police Lieutenant John Walker. "They locked their gates for us and uniform officers converged on the area and brought the man into custody."
Police say the suspect, who has not yet been identified, will be charged with attempted murder.
The victim was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he is currently in critical but stable condition.
The shooting was only one of several violent incidents that took place in Philadelphia Tuesday night. Police say a total of nine people were struck during six separate shootings in the city that all took place within the span of a few hours.
