PHILADELPHIA, PA – Two men were fatally shot and a 7-year-old girl was injured Saturday night in a shooting on West Hunting Park Avenue, just hours before an unrelated firearm incident unfolded during a large gathering in Frankford, police said.
The first shooting occurred at approximately 8:22 p.m. on the 1900 block of West Hunting Park Avenue. Officers from the 39th District responded and found two men with gunshot wounds to the head. A 26-year-old man was discovered unresponsive on the highway and transported to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:37 p.m. A 29-year-old man was found unresponsive on a porch nearby and was later pronounced dead at 10:44 p.m.
Police said two additional victims arrived at Einstein Medical Center by private vehicle. A 26-year-old woman sustained a gunshot wound to the arm and is in stable condition. A 7-year-old girl, identified as the daughter of one of the deceased victims, suffered a graze wound to the scalp and was later listed in stable condition at Saint Christopher’s Hospital for Children.
Later that night, around 11:42 p.m., officers from the 15th District responded to reports of gunfire and a large gathering at a vacant lot on the 1600 block of Orthodox Street. Initial reports indicated roughly ten shots had been fired, and several individuals were seen fleeing the area.
Upon arrival, police encountered a man with a rifle who identified himself as private security for the event. According to preliminary details, an altercation had taken place in which another individual allegedly brandished a firearm and threatened the security guard, who then discharged his weapon.
Police later located the suspect and recovered a 9mm firearm. The individual was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg and identified at the scene. A crime scene was established, and four fired cartridge casings were recovered. The Shooting Investigation Group was notified, and the incident remains under investigation.
