Suspect In Custody After Food Delivery Driver Shot On Busy Center City Street Over Parking Dispute, Police Say
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A man is in custody in connection with a shooting at 17th and Chestnut Streets in Center City Thursday. Corey Curtis, 31, turned himself in to Philadelphia police Friday morning.
The shooting happened during a dispute between a delivery driver who was double-parked and another driver.
Police say Curtis has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assaut and related charges.
Police say the victim was shot multiple times. He was transported to Jefferson Hospital and placed in critical condition.
"I just heard three shots," one man said. "It's scary, it's really scary,"
Elizabeth Armour heard the shooting and says the shooting happened after someone was double parked and was blocking a vehicle who was legally parked @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/hex1TWIO6s
— Matt Petrillo (@MattPetrillo) February 17, 2022
Police say a delivery driver in a silver SUV double-parked on Chestnut Street to get a food delivery and blocked a vehicle that was legally parked. When the food delivery driver came back, an argument broke out with the legally parked driver that turned into a fight. The delivery driver knocked that driver to the ground. That's when police say the driver went to his car, got a gun and shot the delivery driver twice.
"A good Samaritan takes him over to Jefferson Hospital," Philadelphia Police Capt. John Walker said. "He was shot one time in the face and one time in the back."
"The guy was double-parked beside him, didn't want to pull up 10 feet so the guy could get out of the parking space," Elizabeth Armour, who witnessed the shooting, said.
People tell @CBSPhilly they heard three gunshots ring out in front of Cava near 17th & Chestnut Streets in Center City this afternoon. Part of Chestnut remains blocked off pic.twitter.com/ISbNxctC5d
— Matt Petrillo (@MattPetrillo) February 17, 2022
"I hate to say it, but living in Philadelphia right now, this is going on all the time," she added. "I mean you become immune to it, you become immune to violence, guns, random shootings."
People who live and work in Center City reacted after the gunman involved in Thursday's shooting turned himself in to police.
"He knew he did wrong. Too many people probably seen him so he did the right thing," said Linda Whitmore, who works in Center City.
Exactly 24 hours after the shooting, Eyewitness News found vehicles parking in the right of way all along Chestnut Street, including food delivery drivers double-parking in the same area where Thursday's food delivery driver had double-parked before he was shot.
"It's called ignorance, man. It's called people don't care about the next man," Gregory Robinson said.
"Nobody really cares anymore about anyone else. It's all about what they're doing," Logan Yost said.
Others add they want to see an end to the gun violence.
"It wasn't worth doing something like that," one woman said.
At the start of this week, police reported that there have been over 440 shooting incidents this year.
For a list of gun violence resources in Philadelphia, click here