A third man was hospitalized after gunfire late Thursday morning in Northeast Philadelphia, police said.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Two men were killed and another was wounded when shots were fired late Thursday morning on the 7100 block of Oakland Street in Northeast Philadelphia, police said. Officers responded shortly after 11 a.m., and homicide detectives took over the investigation.
Police said the attack unfolded on a residential stretch just off Princeton Avenue as neighbors prepared for the first day of the year. Investigators are working to determine what sparked the violence and who pulled the trigger. Two victims arrived at Temple University Hospital in a private car, and a third was taken by police to another hospital. By early afternoon, authorities confirmed two fatalities and said the surviving victim remained under medical care. Detectives are holding the vehicle that delivered the two victims to Temple as evidence while canvassing homes and businesses for footage. The killings marked an early test for the city’s violence prevention efforts at the start of 2026.
Officers from the 2nd District were dispatched shortly after 11 a.m. for reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they found one man on the block and rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:55 a.m., police said. Two additional victims reached Temple University Hospital by private vehicle; one of those men was pronounced dead at 11:52 a.m., while the other remained hospitalized Thursday. Investigators recovered evidence markers scattered across lawns, sidewalks and the street. Neighbors described hearing an argument followed by rapid gunfire. “It sounded like fireworks at first,” said Amy Smith, who lives nearby. “Then we heard screaming for help.” Witnesses also reported seeing a black sedan speeding away as people shouted.
Authorities said the shooting happened amid a dispute on the block. According to station reporting that cited law enforcement sources, the confrontation involved people who knew one another, and a woman related to one of the men was knocked to the ground before shots were fired. Family members identified one of the men who died at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital as Luis Colon, described by neighbors as a longtime resident who often helped others on the street. Police have not released official identifications or ages for the victims. The third victim’s condition was not immediately available. Investigators said they are reviewing surveillance video, interviewing witnesses and processing the privately owned vehicle that delivered two victims to the hospital. No firearm recoveries or suspect descriptions were made public by Thursday evening.
Thursday’s killings were the city’s first two homicides of 2026. The block sits in the Oxford Circle section of Northeast Philadelphia, an area of rowhouses and corner stores bordered by major corridors where police often rely on doorbell cameras and shop surveillance to reconstruct shootings. In past years, winter holidays have seen sporadic spikes in gunfire as large gatherings, fireworks and late-morning street activity mix. Neighbors said bullets struck a parked car and at least one entered a living room while someone was inside; no additional injuries were reported from those stray rounds. Several residents recounted hearing eight or more shots shortly after 11 a.m., which drew people from their homes onto the sidewalks before officers pushed the crowd back to preserve the scene.
Homicide detectives were leading the case and working with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office to determine potential charges. Police said individuals were being questioned, and station reporting that cited sources said at least some people were in custody for interviews. Investigators are sorting out how many shooters were involved and whether any shots were fired in self-defense during the argument. Officials planned to review body-worn camera footage from responding officers and to collect any ballistic evidence for lab testing. Authorities did not announce a news conference Thursday but said updates would be released after next-of-kin notifications and preliminary findings. No court filings were posted by late afternoon. The department’s tip line remained open for additional witnesses to come forward.
Residents on the block described a chaotic scene as the new year began with police tape encircling porches and cars. “Louis would do anything for anybody,” neighbor Lisa Cwikla said, using the spelling she preferred as she recalled seeing longtime neighbors rush to help. Another neighbor, Paul Cwikla, said he heard about eight shots and then screaming. “I feel for his family and for everyone involved,” he said. Smith said two days earlier the same neighbor was helping her with a flat tire. By midday, detectives had finished placing numbered evidence markers and photographing bullet strikes on a parked vehicle while officers directed relatives and friends away from the cordon.
As of Thursday evening, police had not released the victims’ ages, a definitive motive or the number of shooters. Detectives were expected to update the case if arrests are made or charges are approved. Investigators continued interviews and video collection into the night, with the next formal update anticipated after laboratory reviews and autopsy results are complete.
Author note: Last updated January 2, 2026.