July 04, 2023
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
A mass shooting in Southwest Philadelphia left five people dead and two children injured. Philadelphia Police arrested a 40-year-old suspect on the 1600 block of South Frazier Street.
Five people were killed, and two children were injured in a mass shooting in Southwest Philadelphia Monday night, police said.
At 8:30 p.m., police responded to reports of gunfire in the Kingsessing section of the city near 56th Street and Chester Avenue. At least 50 shots were fired, according to multiple media reports. Multiple vehicles were hit by gunfire.
Officers found four people dead in the shooting area; three were identified as ages 59, 22, and 20, the Inquirer reported. A fifth person was found dead hours after the shooting, 6ABC reported. His father found the 31-year-old dead in the living room with multiple gunshot wounds.
"We believe because of where he was found and where his house is on 56th Street and the fact that we found ballistic evidence that matches the ballistic evidence we found on the street a few hours earlier, we believe this homicide is related," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said, via 6ABC.
Two children, ages 2 and 13, were taken to the hospital with injuries but placed in stable condition, police said.
A 40-year-old man was arrested in an alley on the 1600 block of South Frazier Street, Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a press conference after the shooting. The suspect was wearing a bulletproof vest and had an AR-style rifle, handgun, multiple magazines, and a police scanner, multiple outlets reported.
A second person, who police believe shot back at the suspect, was also arrested, FOX29 said.
"We have absolutely no idea why this happened," Outlaw said. "At this point, all we know is that this person left their home and decided to target individuals."
Mayor Jim Kenney took to Twitter shortly after the shooting to offer his condolences to the families.
"Horrified by the reports of a shooting in Southwest Philadelphia. My heart is with the loved ones and families of everyone involved, and I send my prayers to the victims," he tweeted.
Kenney also said that the violence in the city must stop while praising the police for swiftly arresting a suspect.
As of Monday night, there have been at least 212 homicides in Philadelphia this year, according to data from the police. That is a 19% decrease from the same time period last year.
There have been at least 744 nonfatal shootings and 185 fatal shootings, numbers from the Controller's Office show. Data also shows that 99 children have been shot in Philadelphia this year.
Outlaw said that the motive for the shooting is under investigation.
