Officials with Temple University have provided an update after gunshots were heard during a meet up held on the school's campus on Saturday that sent hundreds running through the streets to get to safety.
The school has shared an image of the individual believed to be responsible for the gunfire, and according to Temple University officials, seven children -- all between the ages of 13 and 16 -- have been cited for disorderly conduct following the incident.
In a letter to the community on Sunday morning, Temple vice president, and chief for Public Safety, Jennifer Griffin said campus officials were alerted to a social media post ahead of the planned meet up and immediately began coordinating a response with the city's police department.
She said city and campus police were in place and cameras were being monitored when the meet up started, and, eventually, "several fights broke out" causing officers to begin to work to break up the crowd.
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At about 5:23 p.m. on Saturday, an alert was sent out to notify people that there was a "large group of juveniles" -- which police said one emergency caller claimed there were about 500 juveniles at the gathering -- and to avoid the area as police were on the scene.
The plan, she said in her letter, was to disperse the crowd in a "safe and deliberate way."
However, she said, at about 6 p.m. officers heard a gunshot near Park and Cecil. B. Moore avenues as they worked to disperse the crowd, Griffin said.
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Then, she said, the officers heard another gun shot, near Broad Street at Cecil B. Moore Avenue.
"At 8:24 p.m., the area was clear, but officers remained in the area throughout the night, and a final all-clear alert was sent. Fortunately, there is no evidence of anyone being injured. Through examination of our camera footage and citizen videos, however, we believe one person fired a handgun into the air during both incidents," said Griffin in a letter to the Temple community.
Her office also shared an image of the individual believed to have fired the weapon during the incident on Saturday.
Also, she said, as of Sunday morning, seven children -- all between the ages of 13 and 16 -- have been cited for disorderly conduct following the events on Saturday.
And, according to Griffin, more individuals may be contacted by police, as "detectives are continuing to utilize camera footage and other leads to identify those individuals who came to our campus to create disorder."
"This behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. As we always do, we will continue to review this incident internally and with our partners and will continue to work with PPD and law enforcement leadership regarding crowd control and management to protect Temple and the North Philadelphia community," read Griffin's letter.
Anyone who may have information on this incident is asked to contact the Temple Police at 215-204-1234.
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