Three people were shot Wednesday, including a teenage boy wounded by police, and five were arrested when a hail of gunfire erupted near the end of a packed end of Ramadan event in Philadelphia, authorities said.
Shots rang out around 2:30 p.m. in the area of North 46th Street and Wyalusing Avenue at Clara Muhammad Square where about 1,000 people were gathered, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel told reporters at the scene.
Officers were writing tickets at a nearby gas station when they heard 30 shots fired, Bethel said.
The officers saw two groups shooting at each other. One officer approached a 15-year-old boy, who was armed and opened fire, police said.
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An image overhead showing the scene where a shooting took place during an end of Ramadan event in Philadelphia on Wednesday. (FOX 29)
The officer returned fire and shot the teen in the shoulder and leg. The officer put the teen in her patrol car and rushed him to the hospital, Bethel said.
The teen shooter was listed in stable condition and arrested, police said. Two other people were also shot during the gunfire exchange between the two groups, police said.
A 22-year-old man was shot in the stomach and a 15-year-old boy was shot in the right finger, authorities said. Both were listed in stable condition.
The injured teen who was shot by police, as well as three men and a woman were arrested. Five weapons were also recovered, Bethel said. The officer who opened fire has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of an investigation into the shooting.
During the large police response to the scene, a police patrol vehicle hit a 15-year-old girl, who sustained a fractured leg, Bethel said.
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People gather in the aftermath of a shooting at an Eid al-Fitr event in Philadelphia on Wednesday. (AP Photo; Matt Rourke)
“That is not our intended purpose,” Bethel said after offering his apologies to the child’s family.
Abdallah Legh, general manager of the Girard Meat Market, told Fox Philadelphia that he heard what sounded like three or four shots fired. A dozen to 30 children sought shelter in his store, he said.
“Everybody was running,” he said.
The shooting happened during the Eid al-Fitr, a three-day holiday that follows the fasting month of Ramadan, organized by the Philadelphia Masjid, a local mosque.
“Eid should always be a time of joy for our Muslim neighbors — and I grieve for every member of the Philadelphia Muslim community whose celebration was shattered by gun violence today,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro posted on social media.
The FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have sent personnel to the scene to assist local authorities.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Penn., said his office has been in touch with local officials.
“My office has been in touch with local officials on the shooting at a Eid al-Fitr event in Philadelphia,” he wrote on X. “As we gather more details, I urge everyone to stay safe and listen to law enforcement.”
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The Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it was in touch with local authorities regarding the shooting.
“Muslim community leaders have been on the forefront of efforts to curb gun violence and other ills in our City and we are looking forward to supporting these efforts,” the group said in a statement.
