Three men were injured when two groups fired more than 70 rounds at each other, including some shotgun blasts, in Philadelphia’s Frankford neighborhood Thursday night, police said.
One of the injured, a 30-year-old man, was held as a suspect after surveillance cameras captured him firing from his car while two other men got out and also fired from the same vehicle at another group, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
The shooting happened around 10 p.m. in the area of Arrott and Griscom streets, leaving a “very large” crime scene as police found dozens of bullets scattered around the area, Small said.
Officers heard the shots and responded within seconds, finding the 30-year-old man in the driver’s seat of a small SUV with a gunshot wound to the head, Small said. Officers rushed him to Temple University Hospital, where he was in critical condition but expected to survive, he said.
Later, a 27-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the arm and a 28-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the leg arrived at the same hospital and reported being shot in the same area where the other man was shot, Small said. Police determined that all three were involved in the same shootout.
The 30-year-old was being held as a suspect because police found a semiautomatic handgun next to him on the floor of the car and because video footage showed him getting out of the vehicle and opening fire, Small said. The video shows two other men also get out of the vehicle and fire in the same direction, one using a rifle, Small said.
Meanwhile, another group fired in the opposite direction, Small said.
In the 4600 block of Griscom St., where the 30-year-old was shot, investigators found more than 40 shell casings, the inspector general said. In the 4700 block of Griscom Street, they found more than 25 shell casings, he said.
One of the shooters is a 22-year-old man with a license to carry, Small said. That man reported he opened fire because someone was shooting in his direction, Small said, adding that the man cooperated with police.
Police were hoping video from several cameras in the area could help the investigation, the inspector general said.
There are additional resources for individuals or communities who have experienced gun violence in Philadelphia. Additional information can be found here.
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