4 men wounded in Kensington gun battle

Four men were wounded in a gun battle Wednesday evening in the city’s Kensington section, police said.

Just before 6:30 p.m., police on patrol heard gunfire and responded to the 800 block of East Allegheny Avenue, said Chief Inspector Scott Small. Officers found three gunshot victims outside near a takeout food store. A 23-year-old man was shot several times throughout his body. He was taken by police to Temple University Hospital and listed in critical condition.

Two other men, ages 39 and 42, were both shot in the arm. Police also took the men to Temple. They were listed in stable condition.

A little later, officers found a 37-year-old man believed to be one of the shooters with a gunshot wound to his leg hiding inside a house a block away on East Hilton Street, Small said. Police recovered a gun at the house and took the man to Temple, where he was listed in stable condition.

Video surveillance shows a man police believe to be the 37-year-old approach a crowd of about 15 people outside the takeout store and open fire. An unknown person in the crowd returned fire and then ran from the scene, Small said.

Police found 22 spent shell casings on the sidewalk along Allegheny Avenue, Small said.