11-year-old shot in West Philadelphia late Wednesday night
Police have yet to release a description of the shooter, who they believe fired 30 shots along 52nd Street in West Philadelphia on Wednesday night.
An 11-year-old girl and a man were struck during a shootout in West Philadelphia late Wednesday night.
Police said the shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, and the scene spanned several blocks along 52nd Street, where officials found a trail of shell casings, 6ABC reported. The girl was struck in the hip while shopping with her mother, according to police.
“We of course believe that since she’s only 11 years old, she was struck by stray gunfire,” Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters.
Police said the girl is in stable condition at a hospital, and that her family was able to take cover in a corner store.
» READ MORE: A month after a 12-year-old was killed, city leaders are absent. And children on the block are too afraid to play.
A 32-year-old man was also shot in the leg next to the SEPTA station at 52nd Street and Market Streets, according to police. He, too, was hospitalized in stable condition.
Police said it is unclear whether the man was a bystander or was targeted in the shooting, and said they were questioning witnesses.
Police said they believe close to 30 shots were fired, based on clusters of shell casings found near the SEPTA station and on Ludlow Street. Small said officers found a vehicle parked at 52nd and Ludlow that was struck by gunfire. A 16-year-old girl was found hiding inside.
“We transported her to police headquarters as a witness,” Small said.
Small told reporters that the driver of the aforementioned vehicle ran during the shooting, so they are determining the driver’s involvement.
Police offered no description of the shooter, and said they are checking city-operated crime cameras for footage.
These cameras, which have been installed in public places, including near recreation centers and schools, were first meant to be a crime deterrent, but have since become an important part of shooting investigations.
According to data kept by the Office of the City Controller, 107 children under the age of 18 have been shot in 2023 so far. The majority of those shootings have not been fatal.
» READ MORE: Halfway through 2023, shootings are down and more killings are solved. But trauma persists.