Police: Man shot 2 in self-defense

An initial investigation into Tuesday night's shooting of two young men in Queen Village has concluded that the 65-year-old gunman acted in self-defense, police said Wednesday.

The incident happened about 8:30 p.m. on the 700 block of South Second Street, police said.

The man's wife told police that she and her husband were walking on Second when they passed two men in their 20s and one of them barked, "What are you looking at?"

Her husband's reply was to return the question, to which the younger men responded by going after him.

They threw him to the sidewalk and punched and kicked him, police said, citing several witness accounts. The victim then pulled out a .45-caliber pistol he is licensed to carry and opened fire.

One of the attackers, 21, was shot in a shoulder, while the other, 20, was wounded in the stomach, police said. Both were taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where, police reported, they were in stable condition. Police did not release their names.

The husband, a merchant who has a store on nearby South Street, was taken to Methodist Hospital, where he was treated for bruises to his face, head, and chest, and released, police said. His name also was withheld.

Police said in a statement that the initial investigation found that the younger men had assaulted the husband, and that he fired in self-defense.

Police spokeswoman Officer Tanya Little said a decision about charges would not be immediately made.

Some neighbors lamented the incident as a sign of an area in decline.

"I'm upset because I've lived here all my life, and it's getting bad," said Debra Ann Liszewski, 55, adding that she's afraid to walk her Yorkie, Elvis, at night.

Others weren't worried.

"It's a big city. These things happen," said Jay Grossman, 69, who has lived in the neighborhood for 18 years.

"Normally, it's a pretty quiet place, even with South Street right there," he added. "The biggest problem is just people cruising around looking for parking spaces. I think this is sort of a one-off."

Staff writer Chris Palmer contributed to this article.