A 24-year-old dad in Philadelphia was sitting on his front porch with his 1-year-old son when two gunmen fired about 25 shots at them. The shooting happened on September 4 at around 6:30 p.m., in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. The dad, who was reportedly shot multiple times in the head and other areas of his body, was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.
Though the number of homicides in Philadelphia has decreased by 38% in 2024 compared to 2023, gun violence is still a serious problem for the city, according to Philadelphia police data.
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The suspects were captured on video but no one has been arrested.
In this particular case, no arrests have been made and no weapons were recovered. Video evidence shows two people in dark clothing arriving on a red scooter before shooting the dad and his child, per NBC Philadelphia. The shooters also fled the scene on the red scooter.
The baby survived the shooting.
Although about 25 shots were fired at the dad and the baby, the baby survived the shooting. He was taken to a local hospital and was in stable condition, reported WPVI. Police originally suspected that the baby was not shot at all, but later said he "was grazed by gunfire," per NBC Philadelphia.
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It's possible that the dad dropped the baby to protect him from the gunfire.
In addition to having bullet fragments in his legs, the baby had some scratches on his arms, legs, and head that could've been caused by his dad dropping him or putting him on the ground "to protect him" from the gunfire, police told NBC Philadelphia.
Police said it's 'amazing' that the baby survived.
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told NBC Philadelphia that he was surprised that the baby was in stable condition after being shot at two dozen times. Considering how "his father [was] hit multiple times," Small told the outlet that "it's amazing that that child survived."
There have been at least 166 people fatally shot in the city this year.
Philadelphia continues to grapple with a gun violence problem. As of September 5, 166 people have been fatally shot in the city in 2024. There have also been 610 victims of gun violence who survived.
