PHILADELPHIA _ Six people were shot and injured Sunday near an intersection in the Fairhill section of North Philadelphia, police said, capping a violent weekend in the city.
The shooting occurred at 5:24 p.m. at Eighth and Clearfield Streets and the victims, all male, ranged in age from 14 to 27, police said. They were all taken for treatment to Temple University Hospital. Four were reported in stable condition; two were in surgery Sunday evening.
Acting Police Commissioner Christine Coulter told The Inquirer the 14-year-old boy was shot in the hand.
Police were scouring the area for evidence and did not disclose a possible motive, or descriptions of suspects. Because there were not a lot of shell casings on the street, Coulter said, she believes it could have been a drive-by attack.
Neighbors who had been around during the gunfire said they heard more than a dozen shots.
"It's normal to us. Sad to say, but it's normal," said Tasha Barlow, 23, who lives less than a half-block from the shooting.
"There's a lot of shootings around here," said her 13-year-old nephew, Juan Rodriguez. "I'm just used to it. We hear it all the time."
Barlow, a bus attendant, says arguments and crimes over drugs aren't uncommon. "I just mind my business and don't come outside," she said. "It's like you have to keep going. It happens every day and there's nothing you can do about it. Sure it's hard for him (Juan) to see but it's life. It shouldn't be but it is."
By 8:15 p.m., signs of the shooting and the police investigation seemed to be gone. Only broken glass, trash, and a lone flip-flop littered the street.
Two men walking up Eighth Street shrugged when asked about the shooting.
"It's the hood," said one, who, like the other, declined to give his name. "There are shootings here every other week."
Sunday's attack came after two men were killed and seven people were injured in five other Philadelphia shootings over the weekend, police said. Through Oct. 12, the city had logged 266 homicide victims, a slight increase over the same span in 2018, according to city police data.
