PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A man firing into a crowd in northeast Philadelphia early Christmas morning hit two teenagers, killing one, before he was shot and killed by two police officers, police said.
Sgt. Eric Gripp said officers responded to the Port Richmond neighborhood in northeast Philadelphia shortly before 12:30 a.m. Friday after a reported fight between neighbors.
Police said as the officers were trying to defuse the situation, other relatives spilled outside from their homes, forming a large crowd on the sidewalk and in the street. Police said the situation began to escalate, with people pushing and throwing punches at each other.
Police said a 43-year-old man pulled a gun from his waistband and fired into the crowd, hitting a 15-year-old youth and a 17-year-old youth, both in the neck. Both officers fired at the shooter, striking him several times.
All three were rushed to Temple University Hospital, where the suspect and the 15-year-old youth were pronounced dead. The 17-year-old youth was listed in stable condition.
“This is Christmas morning. This is a terrible tragedy,” Gripp told reporters. “This just speaks to the level of gun violence that continues to go on in our city.”
Police said the suspect’s weapon, a 9MM Smith & Wesson, had been reported stolen in Virginia.
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