During a news conference on Friday, city officials revealed that the mass shooting, which resulted in the death of one individual and left eight others injured, occurred when Philadelphia police officers attempted to disperse a mobile pop-up party.
According to the authorities, on the Fourth of July at approximately 11:30 p.m., a group of individuals had assembled on the 1900 block of South Salford Street, a side street located between Chester and Kingsessing avenues in Southwest Philadelphia. Shockingly, someone occupying the passenger seat of an SUV unleashed a barrage of gunfire towards the crowd.
Late Thursday night, a 19-year-old man was fatally shot in the face and later pronounced dead after being taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, according to police.
During a news conference on Friday, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel reported that a pop-up party had made its way into the neighborhood following multiple disruptions across the city on Thursday night.
According to Bethel, Philadelphia police officers disrupted a party scheduled to take place in North Philadelphia. The party-goers then relocated to the Francis Myers Recreation Center area, specifically near 58th Street and Kingsessing Avenue.
According to Bethel, the community was inundated with calls from concerned citizens. “The men and women on the ground were actively working to disband the group. They were successful in getting the group to stand down at approximately 11 o’clock,” she stated.
Bethel stated that the network was able to regroup, leading to an individual arriving in a vehicle and firing multiple rounds, which resulted in several individuals on the highway being hit.
Upon arriving at the scene, an officer discovered a victim in the middle of the street who had sustained gunshot wounds. Additional officers were then summoned to the location where they discovered a total of nine victims – five adults and four teenagers.
According to police reports, a few of the victims were discovered at the location of the incident, while others sought medical attention at nearby hospitals. Fortunately, all of the survivors are currently in stable condition.
Police reported that aside from the 19-year-old, four other individuals were transported by medics to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center:
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- A 23-year-old man, who was shot once in the right leg;
- An 18-year-old man who was shot once in the left leg;
- A 21-year-old man who was shot once in the left shoulder;
- A 17-year-old boy who had a bullet graze his head
At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, medical professionals were providing treatment to two victims of the shooting incident. The first victim was a 16-year-old boy who sustained a gunshot wound in his left thigh, while the second victim was a 15-year-old girl with a gunshot wound in her left foot.
Before being transferred to CHOP, a 14-year-old boy initially came to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania’s Cedar Avenue location.
A 24-year-old man, who became the ninth victim, sought treatment at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Delaware County and was subsequently transferred to Penn Presbyterian.
Philadelphia police pledge to break up pop-up events after shooting
In mid-June, the organizers of this event held a similar gathering in Fairmount Park, which also resulted in a shooting, according to Bethel. Four people were wounded and 17-year-old Isya Stanley lost his life due to the incident that occurred near the event.
Bethel emphasized the responsibility to put an end to these events and urged parents of juveniles to take action. However, she also acknowledged that young adults are involved in these pop-up gatherings.
According to the commissioner, pop-up events have been linked to 14 shootings and two homicides.
Law enforcement will increase their efforts in monitoring these events.
Bethel emphasized that it is no longer acceptable to simply allow people from outside the area to come in, especially considering that many of the victims, including several children, were not local residents. “We cannot continue to ignore this issue,” he stated firmly.
According to Bethel, the police department faces immense challenges on the Fourth of July, particularly in terms of deploying officers across the city.
Officials are yet to disclose any motive or possible suspects for the shooting incident. However, according to Bethel, they are relentlessly working towards identifying the vehicle used in the crime and have already made considerable progress in their investigation.
During a news conference following the shooting, Philadelphia Police Inspector Kpana Massaquoi expressed his concern over the incident. “It is highly alarming, especially considering the fact that we had officers in the vicinity attempting to prevent such an occurrence,” he stated. Despite their efforts, the shooting still took place.
Just one year after the area of 54th Street and Chester Avenue saw one of the most devastating mass shootings in Philadelphia’s history, another tragedy occurred. Five individuals lost their lives, and this event took place less than a mile away.
On July 3, a vigil was held in Kingsessing to pay tribute to the victims of the shooting.
Mayor Cherelle Parker expressed her concern about the pain and trauma that the audience was experiencing, stating that it is not normal and nobody should have to get used to it. She reassured them that the city is not going to get used to it either.
According to Parker, the city may have highlighted a decrease in both homicide and shooting rates, but it’s not a cause for celebration. He believes that simply relying on statistics is not enough to address the issue of unnecessary violence in Philadelphia. Parker emphasizes that the city still has a long way to go in finding a sustainable solution and should not be complacent with the current progress.
