Five young people injured in shooting in East Oak Lane
All of the children suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the police, who have not yet identified the shooter.
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Five young people, including four teens, were injured in a shooting that happened at an East Oak Lane playground late Sunday night.
The shooting occurred at Sturgis Playground on the intersection 65th Avenue and North 2nd Street at 11:30 p.m., when at least one person came among a group of five young people — three teenage boys, one teenage girl, and an 18-year-old man — and began firing.
The two 17-year-old boys were shot in the right foot and buttocks, respectively. The 16-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to his left ankle, while the 17-year-old girl was shot in the right thigh. All of them are in stable condition at Einstein Medical Center, according to police.
The 18-year-old, who was identified later was shot in the right thigh. He is in stable condition at Temple University Hospital.
Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace told reporters that officers found 18 shell casings spread across the park and the corner of North 2nd St.
Police are examining footage from surveillance cameras at the nearby Sturgis Recreation Center. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.
According to data kept by the Office of the City Controller, 112 people under the age of 18 have been shot in Philadelphia this year, a 15% decrease from this time last year.
The City of Philadelphia is now offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of anyone who fires a gun within 500 feet of school, library, or recreation center. The decision came after a spate of shootings that happened near schools and rec centers this year. These include the shooting of a 15-year-old boy outside of the Marie Dendy Recreation Center in North Philly in April, as well as the death of Devin Weedon, 15, who was shot and killed while on his walk to Simon Gratz High School in Hunting Park this March.
At least 629 people have been shot within 500 feet of a city rec center since 2015, according to an Inquirer analysis, and 87 of those victims are children.