April 10, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Philadelphia police are investigating a shooting in Parkside that happened Wednesday afternoon near a festival celebrating the end of Ramadan.
At least three people at a West Philly park were injured by gunfire on Wednesday afternoon while attending a large celebration to mark the end of Ramadan, Philadelphia police said. One of the people injured, a 15-year-old boy, is among the suspected shooters and was wounded by police gunfire. Five people have been arrested, police said.
Around 1,000 people were gathered at Clara Muhammad Square, 47th Street and Wyalusing Avenue in Parkside, when at about 2:30 p.m. at least 30 shots were fired. The holiday event was hosted by the Philadelphia Masjid, located across Wyalusing Avenue.
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Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, during a press briefing from the shooting scene, blamed "two factions ... exchanging gunfire" for the shooting but did not provide details about what provoked the incident.
"We know that the majority, 99% of the individuals, at this event are good people who wanted to have a good time," Bethel said.
As people fled, cops arrested four people and recovered four weapons, Bethel said. Among the four were three males and one female. Two of the males are juveniles and the third is 21 years old, police said.
The injured include a 22-year-old man who was shot in the stomach and a 15-year-old who was shot in the hand.
The other 15-year-old in custody was shot by a police officer who saw the juvenile carrying a gun. The teen was shot twice, once in the shoulder and once in the leg, Bethel said. The officer put the teen into a police car and took him to Penn Presbyterian Hospital. Investigators recovered the weapon he was holding but have not yet determined whether the teen had fired it before being shot.
A fourth injured person, a girl, suffered a broken leg after being struck by a police car during the frenzy after the shots were fired, police said.
Everyone injured is expected to recover, Bethel said.
The suspects' identities have not been released. Bethel said there may be other suspects not in custody and there may be more people who were injured in the gunfire.
The Eid al-Fitr celebration had been open to the public and did not require a ticket for admission.
"When we see individuals who are beefing and going at each other, often times they don't care where they see each other at," Bethel said "In this case, clearly they saw something going on in the park."
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it is monitoring the situation and sending prayers to those impacted by the shooting.
The city is providing trauma support services at the Philadelphia Masjid to help those affected by Wednesday's shooting. The celebration of Eid al-Fitr event concludes the month-long observation of Ramadan, which requires Muslims to fast each day from dawn until dusk. The celebration usually involves prayer, feasts and cultural activities.
