Man dies after being shot outside concert venue on South Street
The shooting occured outside TLA as people lined up for the Lil Durk concert inside.
CHAOS CUT THROUGH the humidity of Friday night, deadly gunfire that caught one man among a crowd of hundreds on South Street.
The incident happened just after 8 p.m., as throngs of people lined up outside the Theatre of the Living Arts, on South near 3rd, Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
Lil Durk, a Chicago-based rapper, was set to perform at the venue, when a scuffle broke out among a group of men near the front door.
Officers assigned to South Street saw the violence and then heard the subsequent gunshots.
They raced to the scene and found the victim, 25, lying face down on the pavement, bleeding heavily from a wound to his abdomen.
About that time, Sufyan Musah, 23, was inside Shyne Jewelers, across the street from the TLA.
The Ambler, Montgomery County, resident was perusing the store's selection when he heard three gunshots.
He whipped around and saw the victim lying in the street, surrounded by cops, he said. Next to the victim was another man, who was weeping over his dying friend.
The victim was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later.
Musah, a native of Ghana, was stunned by the violence.
"I've never seen a gunshot this close before," he said. "It makes me not want to come back here so late at night."
Another man, dressed in all black, fled the scene in a nearby limo, which police pulled over on Columbus Boulevard near South, Small said.
That man, along with two other individuals, were taken in for questioning by Homicide detectives.
There was no word on a motive Friday night. It was unclear if the shooting was related to the rap show.
Back at the scene, police recovered three spent shell casings, Small said. One of the rounds had hit the rapper's tour bus, which police were holding as evidence.
Investigators later found a handgun nearby, on American Street near South, stashed inside the wheel well of a parked car, Small said. Police were unsure Friday night if that was the weapon involved.
Detectives were canvassing the block for surveillance footage. Given the breadth of businesses in the area, it was "highly likely" that the incident was caught on camera, Small said.
Additionally, several witnesses were giving statements to police.
About two hours after the slaying, police released the nearly 100 people who had been stuck inside the TLA as police assessed the crime scene.
A spokesman for Lil Durk did not return a call for comment Friday night.