NORTH PHILADELPHIA, PA – Tuesday evening saw a disturbing escalation in violence in North Philadelphia, where police reported that seven men had been shot near the intersection of North 6th Street and Allegheny Avenue in the city’s Fairhill area.
The incident, which happened after 8.30 p.m., resulted in two people succumbing to their injuries and dying at a nearby hospital just before 9 p.m., while the other five victims were in critical condition with varied injuries. The victims, all adult males ages 19-38, had all been found close to the 3400 block of North Fairhill Street.
Investigating authorities are still trying to understand the cause and circumstances leading up to the mass shooting. Units at the scene found multiple cars with bullet holes and were tasked with determining whether stray bullets had hit any homes in the area.
Describing the magnitude of the incident, Interim Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Stanford revealed that around 70 shots had been fired at the scene. He further added that at least five weapons and narcotics were also discovered.
The area of the shooting is reportedly known for narcotics activities, although authorities are careful not to speculate at this stage of the investigation. Given the several weapons found on-site and the volume of shots fired, multiple shooters are suspected.
Crimes such as these continue to add to the city’s distressing homicide rate, which stood at 372 as of Wednesday, as per police data.