'It was ugly': Rash of gun violence torments North Philadelphia neighborhood
PHILADELPHIA - The rash of gun violence that continues to plague Philadelphia has come to the doorstep of residents in one neighborhood twice in less than two weeks.
Investigators say two men, ages 23 and 26, were targeted by a group of shooters who unleashed nearly 70 shots on the 1700 block of West Oxford Street Monday.
The 26-year-old, who has not been identified by police, died from gunshot wounds. The younger victim was hit seven times and taken to Temple Hospital in critical condition, according to police.
"It was ugly, what I saw was just like the Wild Wild West," said James Dandy, whose lived on Cecil B. Moore Avenue for more than 20-years.
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The Memorial Day double shooting not only capped off a particularly violent holiday weekend, it was the second shooting in the area in less than two weeks.
Investigators say on May 18 five people, including three young women, were shot near the 1500 block of North Bouvier Street.
Officials on the scene said one of the victims, a 28-year-old man, was shot over dozen times and taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Speaking to reporters, Philadelphia Police Captain John Walker called the shooting "unacceptable" and said that it should not be tolerated in communities.
'Unacceptable': 5 people shot blocks away from Temple University's campus, police say
Authorities say five people were shot Wednesday night in North Philadelphia, just blocks away from Temple University's campus. Among the victims, police say a 28-year-old man was shot over a dozen times and a 20-year-old woman was hit at least seven times.
Meanwhile, neighbors have grown uncomfortably accustom to the spate of gun violence.
"It’s a drill like a fire drill when I hear the first shot we hit the floor," Dandy said. His strategy to avoid being struck by stray gunfire that pelted homes and vehicles was echoed by neighbor Tyree Green, who told FOX 29 that he "instinctively got down" when the gunfire happened.
"In a way it just feels like protocol which is a little scary but at the same time it’s the reality," Green said.
Following a historically bloody 2021, Philadelphia surpassed 200 homicides over the holiday weekend to punctuate the city's continue struggle to tame gun violence.
"I said to the inspector and I said to the homicide detective last night ‘Where do we go from here now, what do we do, how do we turn this community around, give me some ideas’ and they just kind of shrugged shoulders," Dandy said.