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Bullets hit driver's door, injuring victim in possible road rage shooting

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Published  September 5, 2024 11:07pm EDT
Crime & Public Safety
FOX 29 Philadelphia

Shots fired from one vehicle to another, hitting, injuring driver

A shooter opens fire on a driver in Philadelphia’s Logan neighborhood with six bullets hitting the driver’s side of a minivan.

LOGAN - A shooter opens fire on a driver in Philadelphia’s Logan neighborhood with six bullets hitting the driver’s side of a minivan.

"When we found the victim, he was still in the vehicle," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small stated.

Police responded to the shooting Thursday evening, around 6:15, at the intersection of Windrim and Belfield Avenue, officials said.

A 37-year-old man was shot in the back in a vehicle. Inspector Small continued, "We found clearly six bullet holes on the driver's side of the minivan. Four bullet holes in the driver door, two additional bullet holes in the driver side rear door."

Despite all the shots, miraculously, the driver is still alive. Police were able to piece together what likely happened through surveillance footage.

"It shows the victim’s vehicle on the 1700 block of Belfield Avenue and there was a large SUV to the left of the driver’s side of the victim’s vehicle. It appears that the victim in the minivan was having some sort of argument with the occupant or occupants of the gray SUV," Small explained. "Someone from the gray SUV fired the shots from that vehicle into the driver’s side of the victim’s vehicle."

The wounded driver, hit once in the back, drove up onto the sidewalk and waited for help.

Inspector Small said, "He’s very lucky that one of the bullets didn’t kill him. Didn’t put him in critical condition. He’s stable and expected to survive."

While the police haven’t been able to talk to the victim to find out for sure how the incident all began as all too common road rage, police say the bullet holes through the door should be another reminder to not honk the horn, flip the middle finger and definitely don’t roll down the window to scream at another driver who may shatter the window with a gun.

"No gestures, no rolling down the windows, don’t yell at them, don’t scream at them. Just try to ignore it the best you can and just be safe," Inspector Small advised.

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