Three men were killed -- including two brothers -- and another six people were injured when an argument escalated into a shooting during a block party where over 100 people were in attendance in West Philadelphia on Sunday, according to investigators.
City officials, on Monday, said the shooting happened when an argument at a block party -- that organizers had not gotten a permit for from City Hall -- turned violent after people involved pulled out firearms.
In discussing the ongoing investigation, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said that it appears that during the block party, several individuals became engaged in some kind of argument that eventually turned physical.
"As a result of that, guns are pulled and gunfire starts," Bethel said.
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Following the shooting, Bethel said, police have recovered three firearms and investigators believe at least 36 rounds were fired throughout the incident.
"This was a gun battle," said Bethel. "This was not an individual who just came down the block and shot nine people."
It was an incident that, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said, will not go unpunished.
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"To those who think that it is okay to engage in a wild, wild west-like culture here in our city, and to think that type of behavior will be tolerated, it is not acceptable for people to think that it is somehow okay to come into a neighborhood block party and pull out a gun and just start shooting each other," she said. "People are going to be held accountable for these actions to the fullest extend of the law”
However, following Monday's event, police officials have not provided information on any suspects in this incident.
The mass shooting happened at about 2 a.m. Sunday as, officials said, about 100 to 150 people were at a party being held in the Carroll Park section of West Philadelphia, near the intersection of Alden Street and Girard Avenue.
Three men were killed in the incident and six people were injured. Law enforcement officials have not yet provided identifying information on these victims, but Bethel said two of the men who were killed were brothers.
Officials have said all of those who were injured were listed in stable condition following the shooting.
Parker, in discussing the incident, said that the block party was not registered with City Hall ahead of the event.
If it had been, she argued, police could have been aware that there would be a large gathering in the community.
“We can’t make good on our promise to you if you won’t follow the process that’s established," she said.
Parker also noted that the city has seen a recent decrease in gun violence. According to police data, the city has so far seen a 38% drop in deadly shootings in 2024 compared to the same time last year.
In fact, so far this year, the city has seen the lowest year-to-date homicide total since 2016.
Yet, she said, that means little to those who lost loved ones over the weekend.
“That doesn’t mean a thing right now to the people that live in Carroll Park,” Parker said.
So far, officials have announced no details on suspected gunmen in this incident and the identities of those who were killed on Sunday were not made available during Monday's event. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said he was confident that law enforcement officials would track down those responsible, however.
"We will catch the people who did this," he said confidently.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
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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