Police say it could all have started with a neighborhood conflict over a parking lot.
“We are very early in this investigation now. Obviously this is Christmas morning. This is a terrible tragedy. This just speaks to the level of gun violence that is still going on in our city,” said Philadelphia Police Sgt. Eric Gripp said.
According to Gripp, two 24th district officers in a police car responded to a call around 12:20 p.m. on Friday for a malfunction on the 3300 block of Emerald Street in Kensington.
While officers were on the scene to defuse the nuisance, police said additional family members were leaving their homes, forming large crowds on the sidewalk and in the middle of the street.
Police said the group began to escalate the situation by pushing and bumping each other.
A 43-year-old man pulled a gun from his waistband and shot into the crowd, beating two teens, ages 15 and 17, in the neck.
The two police officers fired back and hit the suspect in the torso.
“Both police officers in the 24th district car fired the man who was shooting and hit him several times,” Gripp said.
The male gunman and the two teenage victims were taken to Temple University Hospital.
The shooter was pronounced dead in the hospital.
The 15-year-old boy died of his injuries.
The 17-year-old boy is listed in stable condition.
No injuries were reported to the officers or other civilians.
“We just pray for everyone involved. We mourn the lives lost, but we are also grateful that our officers are safe this morning,” Gripp said.
The gun of the male gunman was recovered by the police.
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This story has been updated to show that the shooting took place in Kensington.
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