Eight people were shot in Philadelphia overnight, including a 2-year-old boy and four teenagers, ABC 6 reports.
Around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, a 2-year-old boy and three adults were injured in a shooting in West Philadelphia. The family was riding in an SUV when someone began firing at it.
Responders found a 26-year-old man on the pavement with a gunshot wound to his leg; he was rushed to a local hospital and was in critical condition as of Thursday morning.
A short distance away, police located three more victims inside a Kia SUV that was riddled with bullets.
“We don’t know if somebody was intentionally firing shots at this vehicle or if it was hit by stray gunfire, but the vehicle clearly has 10 bullet holes in it,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told the television station.
An initial investigation indicates that the injured man was standing near the SUV and talking to two women inside it when the gunshots rang out.
The two women, who are both in their 20s, are in critical condition at an area hospital. One woman was shot in the back while the other was shot in the head.
Two children were in the backseat at the time – boys ages 2 and 6 – and the 2-year-old child was shot in the leg. He is reportedly in stable condition at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The woman shot in the head may be the mother of the two boys.
Hours later, just before 2 a.m., more than 20 shots were fired toward four teens at an apartment complex in North Philadelphia.
Two girls, ages 14 and 16, were shot in the face, including one with a serious injury. Two boys, ages, 13 and 15, were shot in their legs and arms. All four are expected to survive.
Two of the victims were found in the courtyard of the Spring Garden Homes community and two others ran into a home nearby. The shooting is said to have occurred in the courtyard, NBC Philadelphia reports.
The city has a 10 p.m. curfew for minors, but authorities said the teens were standing outside a residence where two of them lived at the time shots went off.
“They were just a few feet from the front door on the courtyard right in front of the house where two of the victims lived. The other two we believe were just visiting, they were friends, when someone fired at least 21 shots in the direction of these teenagers, striking all four,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
A revolver was found at the scene, but it was not immediately clear whether that gun was used in the shooting. Investigators believe a semi-automatic weapon was used to shoot the four teens.
Police have not yet made any arrests in connection with the shootings.
To report information about either shooting, call Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS.
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