A shooting outside a rec center in West Philadelphia left two children, two teenagers and a city worker injured on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the shooting happened outside Christy Rec Center on 56th and Christian streets at around 4:05 p.m.
Police released surveillance footage late Wednesday night of multiple suspects wanted for their involvement in the shooting. Investigators released more video of the suspects on Friday.
Philadelphia police are looking for multiple suspects in connection with Wednesday’s shooting that injured five people in West Philly.
Philadelphia Police Department
Earlier in the day, city staff and a police officer on detail at the rec center broke up a fight outside. Later, the people returned to the corner and fired shots, Bethel said.
A 10-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl both suffered graze wounds. Bethel said the two children were taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and placed in stable condition.
Police said two 16-year-old boys were injured in the shooting. One 16-year-old was taken to the hospital by a private vehicle and placed in critical condition, while the other was placed in stable condition at a hospital, police said.
The fifth person shot — a 32-year-old man — is a city employee, Bethel said. The 32-year-old suffered a graze wound to his hand. He was placed in stable condition.
Surveillance video shows multiple suspects arriving to scene of shooting
So far, no arrests have been made in the shooting. However, law enforcement sources say investigators are closing in on the suspect and may soon apply for an arrest warrant.
Surveillance video released by Philadelphia police shows multiple people walking up 56th Street. The video identifies a person carrying a dark-colored backpack as the shooter.
A frame from surveillance video released by Philadelphia police. Police identified the person on the left with the backpack as the shooter.
Philadelphia Police Department
There are three other males in the video walking to the corner of 56th and Christian — then the person identified as the shooter, seen across the street, crosses over and joins them.
Philadelphia Police Department
The suspects are then seen heading east down Christian Street. In the background, the rec center pool is visible, and people can be seen running away after the shots were fired.
Surveillance video shows the person identified as the shooter running down Christian Street.
Philadelphia Police Department
City officials react after 5 hurt in rec center shooting
For Bethel, the shooting was difficult because he grew up in the area.
“That is a pool that I grew up in,” Bethel said. I lived only two blocks away. This was always a safe place for us as children to come. And to find almost 75 children in the pool, and individuals would come down here and fire when our children are here — there are boundaries. And if they don’t set the boundaries, then we will set it for them.”
“We’re going to do everything in our power to bring those individuals who put our children in harm’s way, who put any of us in harm’s way, but particularly are defenseless children in harm’s way,” Bethel added. “We’re at the pool to have a good time, only to have their parents pick them up at the hospital. Who does that?”
Mayor Cherelle Parker said the pool at Christy Rec Center just opened on Wednesday afternoon. Nobody who was in the pool was injured during the shooting, according to Bethel.
Bethel said investigators have a lot of cameras in the area of the shooting from the rec center and at Harrity Elementary, a charter school across the street.
City officials provide update on shooting near Philadelphia rec center
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Bethel and Parker were heading to the hospital to visit the gunshot victims after the shooting.
Parker urged the public to contact the police department if they have any information about the shooting, and said any incident like this is a “stain on the city’s soul.”
“We have to have zero tolerance and we can’t police our way through this moment,” Parker said. “We have to have the community actively engaged, and we have to act as a village, as a family and as a city.”
Shooting outside Christy Rec Center leaves community shaken
The shooting outside Christy Rec Center has left the community in West Philly shaken.
“It’s atrocious that these kids can’t play,” Eric Parker said. “This neighborhood can’t be like this. This is a safe zone. Where the kids are at, you can’t do that type of stuff. You got to be where you at with this type. Don’t come around here with that. We love our children. This is crazy.”
Cheyenne Patterson said the news of the shooting was shocking. She said she’s in the area of the rec center often.
Eli Mount said shootings like this make some residents in the city feel safe going outside.
“Everybody want to stay in the house, nobody want to come outside, nobody want to let their kids out here no more because look at what’s going on out here in our city, city of Philadelphia,” Mount said. “This is making me upset now.”
“They’re shooting everywhere,” said Carol Johnson, a neighbor who lives close to the recreation center.
The mid-afternoon shooting has kept the Christy Recreation Center closed. Johnson said conversations have turned to questions of safety – there’s reluctance by some to let the kids come back.
“They’re not going back down there,” Johnson said. “My granddaughter dances over here, and I’m the babysitter. I’m scared to let her come back down. The mother doesn’t want them to come back down here. But it’s safe around here once they get everything straightened out. I think everything is going to be alright.”
Friday afternoon, state lawmakers carried on with a previously scheduled food and clothing giveaway.
“I grew up playing basketball at this recreation center,” said State Sen. Anthony Williams, who is pushing for people to help police.
“We’re offering a $10,000 reward for the arrest of those folks who were involved,” Williams said.
Parents, like Harold Bosworth, say the moment is about teaching teens about smarter conflict resolution.
“I tell them all the time if you have an issue out here, see me,” Bosworth said. “We’re trying to mediate the problem. Talk to the people that you’re beefing with and see where their head is at and where your head is at.”
Meanwhile, the pool at Christy Recreation Center will reopen at noon on Saturday.
West Philadelphia shooting follows violent weekend in the city
Wednesday’s shooting in West Philadelphia followed a violent weekend of shootings in the city.
Last Thursday, four people, including a mother and her two children, were wounded in a shooting in North Philadelphia.
On Friday, two men were arrested after allegedly firing shots at police officers in Carroll Park. The two men led officers on a brief chase, which eventually led to a drug bust.
In the city’s Nicetown neighborhood on Saturday, a mother, her 7-year-old daughter and two other people were shot. On Sunday, four more people were wounded in a shooting near Stokley Street and Roberts Avenue in Philadelphia.
Police said 15 people were injured and three others were killed in shootings in the city over the weekend.
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