Philadelphia Police Investigating After 2 Women Injured In 2 Separate Shootings Hours Apart
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Statistics from the Philadelphia Police Department show the number of domestic violence incidents has increased since last year. Two women are in critical condition Thursday after being shot in separate incidents.
It was around 2 a.m. Thursday when neighbors in Southwest Philadelphia were jolted from their sleep as gunshots rang out inside on the 1100 block of South 56th Street.
"Right now, we're all just in shock," Kingsessing resident La'Don Oliver said.
Police say a 33-year-old woman was shot twice in the back in her children's second-floor bedroom. Her four children, between the ages of 1 to 11, were in the home at the time of the shooting.
Authorities say the victim's live-in boyfriend found her unconscious.
"I just want them to get to the bottom of what's going on," Oliver said.
The 1-year-old that family members tell CBS3 both adults share was also shot in the stomach. She is currently being treated at CHOP and is in stable condition.
"No major organs were hit and it could've possibly been a graze wound," Oliver said.
Although police are still investigating exactly what happened, sources say the couple's relationship has been rocky. So far, he is cooperating with police and it is unclear if this was a home invasion or disturbance. Police say there were no signs of break-in or struggle.
"She lost a lot of blood from what I understand so we're just praying that her and her family can get through this," Oliver said.
Within hours of that shooting, a 29-year-old woman was shot multiple times in the stomach, chest and side in Northeast Philadelphia. Police say it was a domestic dispute that left the woman lying on the street near Welton and Barlow Streets in the Somerton area.
"We know that there are six shell casings on the highway and we know that the vehicle that left the scene, Jeep Cherokee TrailBlazer, has very tinted windows and the rims are done up," Chief Inspector Frank Vanore said.
Northeast detectives are on the hunt for that White Jeep. The victim is listed in critical condition at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital.
Police are working on a warrant for the person they believe is responsible.
So far, no weapon has been recovered.
According to police, domestic homicides in Philadelphia jumped from 14 in 2020 to 31 so far this year.
Experts say most victims are conditioned to believe they are to blame for all the violence.
"If there are guns in the house, the statistics go up even higher," domestic violence expert Lily Sanders said. "If they've been strangled once, their statistics go up 10 fold that they will die of strangulation."
If you are in an abusive relationship, experts suggest reaching out to someone you can trust and coming up with an exit plan.