PHILADELPHIA, PA – The city of Philadelphia experienced its first mass shooting of the year, leaving two dead and four injured in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood early Sunday. Police responded to the 2400 block of N. Myrtlewood Street just before 1 a.m. to find three men suffering from gunshot wounds.
According to Philadelphia Police Department Captain Christopher Bradshaw, a 53-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene after being shot in the head. Another man, 41, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a nearby hospital with gunshot wounds to the chest and thigh. A third man, 42, was shot in the hand and listed in stable condition at a nearby hospital.
Additionally, a 22-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to the leg, a 28-year-old man shot three times in his leg and hip, and a 33-year-old woman shot twice in her left arm arrived at local hospitals in private vehicles. All three were in stable condition. The incident is believed to have occurred in an illegally operating speakeasy at a home along the block, with the gunman firing at least ten shots.
Investigators suspect that the shooter stood in the street and fired through the front door and window into the speakeasy. As of Sunday morning, no arrests have been made and a motive for the shooting has not yet been determined. The investigation is ongoing.
In total, the incident resulted in two fatalities and four injuries, marking the first mass shooting of the year in Philadelphia. The authorities are continuing to investigate the incident and have not made any arrests at this time.