3 dead, several injured in shooting in West Philadelphia, police say
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Three people, including two brothers, died and six others were injured in a shooting at a block party early Sunday morning in the Carroll Park section of West Philadelphia, police said.
During the block party Sunday, multiple shooters pulled guns after an argument turned physical, investigators said.
Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a press conference Monday that no block party permit was issued for the large gathering.
"Why is it important to go through that [permit] process?" Parker said. "Because when you do, the leadership of our respective police districts, they then know that there is a propensity for a large gathering to occur on blocks where permits have been issued."
Police responded to a call about gunshots shortly after 2 a.m. on the 1200 block of North Alden Street. A 33-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, and two other men died at local hospitals, according to police.
"It is never OK to put an entire neighborhood at risk like this," Parker said. "It is not acceptable for people to think that it is somehow OK to come into a neighborhood block party and pull out a gun and just start shooting each other."
Parker emphasized that Philadelphia residents need to feel safe.
"We won't tolerate this behavior and people are going to be held accountable for these actions to the fullest extent of the law," Parker said. "We will not rest until every resident in every neighborhood feels safe."
Two people remain in the hospital, and four others were treated and released, authorities said Monday.
"Every shooting and homicide in Philadelphia is painful to me, and my administration will not rest until every resident, in every neighborhood, feels safe in their community," Parker wrote on X Sunday following the shooting.
Several cars were also struck by gunfire, police said.
Police recovered three guns from the scene, and homicide detectives are investigating; they don't have much information on the shooters, police said.
Brandy Avery, who lives nearby, said she and her daughter heard the gunshots.
"It's just hard to hear that so many people were hurt," Avery said. "There were so many people, children, adults out there that could have been just innocent bystanders that were hit, hurt."
Avery said she hopes the leaders who visited her community on Monday will follow through with their promise to keep neighborhoods safer.
"I'm hoping it's a reassurance -- it feels like a reassurance to me. I hope this type of energy keeps up so that the neighborhood would be safe, especially for our children and I'm just waiting to see what kind of protocols and everything they're going to enforce," she said.
