A month after a woman was shot and killed by a stray bullet outside of a North Philadelphia deli, police hope that surveillance images and video help them track down her killer and other suspects.
Victoria Romulus, 32, was walking southbound along the 4800 block of North Broad Street around 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024, when at least one shot was fired.
Romulus was shot once in the back. She ran into a nearby deli and collapsed inside the store, Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace said after the shooting.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
The people who were inside the deli when Romulus ran in told NBC10 that she uttered the word, "help," before she collapsed.
"It’s horrible. And I’m tired of seeing it. I’m tired of seeing it," a witness said.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Responding medics took Romulus to a nearby hospital where she she died a short time later.
“I thought she was gonna make it. She’s somebody’s daughter, somebody’s mother possibly. But whoever did it, I hope they catch him," one witness said.
Shooting started more than a block away
Police said they had a difficult time finding any evidence of a shooting at first, but later they discovered three spent shell casings more than a block away on the other side of the street.
On Monday, June 11, 2024, police released surveillance images that show people wanted in connection to the shooting.
"The offenders encountered several other males who were in the area and the groups appeared to have a verbal dispute," police said Monday. "One of the offenders produced a handgun and fired several shots in the direction of the other males."
One of those bullets struck and killed Romulus, police said.
Police shared video that shows three "offenders, -- including the gunman -- and several persons of interest.
In the video, you see the groups scatter. One person appears to loss their shoe, hobbling along with it in their hand. Another angle from a porch shows three people walking by.
Police asked for the public's help in tracking down the people involved. They urged anyone who spots the suspects to call 911 immediately. They said tips could be submitted by calling or texting 215-686-8477 or submitting a tip online.
As is the case with all homicides in Philadelphia, a $20,000 reward is being offered for an arrest and conviction.
Entering Monday, at least 115 people have been killed in Philadelphia so far in 2024, according to police data. That's down about 38% from the same time last year and the lowest homicide total to date since 2016.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
