Barrage of bullets kills 19-year-old getting into rideshare car in Philadelphia
Over 60 shots fired as 19-year-old killed in West Philly: What we know
Police are investigating after more than 60 bullets were fired in the Overbrook section of West Philadelphia early Wednesday, killing a 19-year-old who was getting into a rideshare vehicle, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
PHILADELPHIA - A 19-year-old man was leaving a friend's house late Tuesday night when police say he was killed in a hail of gunfire just before entering a rideshare vehicle.
Deadly shooting in Overbrook
What we know:
Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the 800 block of Wynnewood Road around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday for reports of a shooting, according to investigators.
Police found a 19-year-old man lying on the ground near scattered shell casings. He was brought to Lankenau Hospital where he died from multiple gunshot wounds, police said.
Over 60 shots fired
What they're saying:
Investigators believe the young victim was leaving a friend's house and was just about to get into a rideshare vehicle when two shooters approached him and began shooting. Over 60 shots were fired, some hitting nearby parked cars, including the rideshare vehicle.
Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters at the crime scene that the rideshare driver was able to safely escape the shooting. They found the rideshare vehicle parked over a mile away at 53rd and Lancaster.
Investigators found a rifle in a backpack near the 19-year-old's body, according to police.
Neighborhood reaction to overnight gunfire and the aftermath
Local perspective:
Residents on the block said they woke up to the sound of gunfire.
"I heard the pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop," said Victor Crenshaw, who lives on the block and found a bullet in his vehicle.
Crenshaw said he didn't see what happened but heard gunfire that went on long enough to recognize something serious was happening.
"Never seen them because I never looked out my window, but I did hear it continuously, it didn’t last long but it lasted long enough you could hear it," said Crenshaw.
Police say the neighborhood, typically described as quiet, was left scattered with shell casings after the shooting.
Farida Nur Parker, who also lives on the block, said, "Absolutely horrifying, it sounded like a war zone, and even in all the time I was in Colombia and all the bad stuff, I never heard or saw anything like that."
Neighbors say they are shaken by the violence and uncertainty. "I’m still reeling that a 19-year-old was killed that breaks my heart, I have a 19-year-old granddaughter," said Parker.
"It’s a shame especially for something like this to happen here. Usually, this block is quiet. And I go to church around the corner it’s sad that it happened," said Crenshaw.
No arrests made
What we don't know:
Police have not reported any arrests as of Wednesday morning. Inspector Small says investigators will use nearby surveillance cameras to hopefully identify the suspected gunmen.
The identity of the victim has not been released by police at this time.
The Source: Information provided by the Philadelphia Police Department.