Philadelphia is reeling from a devastating act of gun violence after a mass shooting in the Grays Ferry area on July 7, which resulted in three fatalities and ten injuries, including three minors. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel condemned the violence, stating during a press conference, "This is cowardly, wannabe thug stuff."
Authorities received reports of gunshots just before 1:00 a.m. in the Grays Ferry neighborhood, where a group of people had gathered. Upon arrival, emergency services discovered 13 individuals affected, with 12 suffering from gunshot wounds. Commissioner Bethel confirmed that among the injured were a 15-year-old female and two 17-year-old males, none of whom sustained fatal injuries.
"We're going to continue to address the challenges we see every day moving forward and continue to make this area safe. It's been a very tragic weekend," Bethel added, acknowledging the broader impact of recent violent incidents.
Victims were swiftly transported to nearby hospitals. One individual sustained injuries from falling while attempting to flee the scene, rather than from a gunshot. Among the critically injured is a 19-year-old male who was shot twice in the head.
The three individuals who tragically lost their lives were identified as a 19-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the head, a 23-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the chest, and a 24-year-old male who suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the back.
Commissioner Bethel revealed that police had previously responded to the same block late Saturday night into early Sunday, making arrests during that earlier incident and maintaining a presence in the area throughout the weekend. One person was taken into custody with a weapon following the prior event.
Investigators believe approximately 40 people were present during the shooting, and dozens of shell casings have been recovered from the scene. Commissioner Bethel reiterated his strong condemnation: "This is coward stuff. Individuals just shooting randomly into houses, into cars, at children. This is cowardly, wannabe thug stuff, this is something it’s hard to understand why individuals engage in this behavior.”
This incident follows another significant shooting on July 5 at a South Philadelphia nightclub, where multiple assailants opened fire, injuring eight people. "We are not going back," Commissioner Bethel affirmed, vowing, "We are going to continue to stay focused on these areas that have a significant level of violence.”
