August 04, 2022
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Philadephia has recorded 325 homicides this year – three more than at the same point in 2021, when homicides reached an all-time high as a result of the city's gun violence crisis.
Four people were killed and two others were injured in five shootings that occurred over a five-hour span Wednesday night in Philadelphia, police said.
The deadly shootings came hours after city officials addressed a gun violence crisis that shows no signs of abating. The city has recorded 325 homicides this year – three more than at the same point in 2021, when homicides hit an all-time high.
The first shooting occurred at 6 p.m. on the 2800 block of North Taney Street in North Philadelphia, 6ABC reported. A 27-year-old man pulled a gun on another man who shot him several times in the chest, acting in self-defense, police said.
The 27-year-old died at a hospital, police said. The other man had a license to carry and is cooperating with investigators.
At 6:48 p.m., police found a 28-year-old man who had been fatally shot four times in the head and back on the 200 block of Zeralda Street in Germantown.
A double shooting occurred at 9:30 p.m. on the 3100 block of Rorer Street, near Lewis Elkins Elementary School in Kensington, NBC10 reported. A 26-year-old man died of a gunshot wound to his shoulder and a 24-year-old man was shot in the leg, police said. Investigators uncovered 16 shell casings from two weapons.
In Frankford, a passenger in a moving car fatally shot the driver at the corner of Torresdale Avenue and Gillingham Street around 10 p.m., police said. After the vehicle crashed into a pole, witnesses saw a passenger stumble out of the car and flee on foot.
Around the same time, a 27-year-old man was shot in the face at a home on the 2100 block of East Clearfield Street in Port Richmond, police said. A woman said the gunman approached the house and asked whether a motorcycle parked out front was for sale, CBS Philly reported. When she told him no, he pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot her, but it jammed. When the 27-year-old approached, the gun cleared and the man shot him.
No arrests have been made in connection to any of the incidents.
Earlier Wednesday, Mayor Jim Kenney and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw addressed the gun violence crisis at a press conference.
"People are concerned," Kenney said. "We're working at our best to get the guns off the street, to intercede in potential violent situations, to make sure that we have the investment when it comes to violence prevention."
Outlaw said there's usually an uptick in violent crime during July due to the hot weather. With more people spending time outside, there are more opportunities for social interactions to go awry. High temperatures also can make people more irritable.
Outlaw said the police are working hard to keep the city safe, but stressed that they can't do it alone.
"There has to be a continued acknowledgement that it's far more than just any one entity in this comprehensive violent crime fighting strategy," she said.
