2 dead, 9 injured in Memorial Day shooting in Philadelphia: Police
Two people were killed and nine others were injured in a shooting at Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park on Memorial Day, authorities said.
Amya Devlin, 23, and Mikhail Bowers, 21, were pronounced dead after being transported to an area hospital, Philadelphia Police said in a release.
The other nine victims are in stable condition. Three of the injured are juveniles between 15 and 17 years old, and the rest of the victims range in age from 18 to 28 years old, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said at a media briefing on May 27.
They include:
- 15-year-old male who sustained a gunshot wound to the left thigh
- 16-year-old female who sustained a gunshot wound to the left thigh
- 17-year-old female who sustained a gunshot wound to the left leg
- 18-year-old female who sustained a gunshot wound to the foot
- 19-year-old female who suffered a gunshot wound to the left hand
- 19-year-old female who sustained a gunshot wound to the head.
- 20-year-old male who sustained a gunshot wound to the left arm
- 23-year-old female who sustained a gunshot wound to the nose
- 28-year-old male who sustained a gunshot wound to the left arm
Gun shots rang out at Fairmount Park
Bethel said witnesses reported hearing gunshots at the park around 10:27 p.m. local time on May 26 in the area of Lemon Hill Drive.
Officials have not recovered any weapons, and no arrests have been made.
A large number of adults were present at the park when the shooting occurred, Bethel said.
"They were packing up as this incident unfolded," Bethel said.
Officers are reviewing social media posts and working with federal agencies including the FBI as part of the investigation, Bethel said.
Weapon used in shooting may have been modified, police say
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said at a press conference on May 27 that the preliminary investigation indicates there were three shooters involved.
Bethel said officials believe the weapons used may have been modified using a switch.
"It's pretty rapid fire so we're pretty confident that there probably was a switch on this gun," Bethel said.
A switch is a device that converts a semi-automatic Glock pistol to function as a machine gun, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Bethel also said firearms that have been modified with a switch can go through a magazine of 20 shots "in seconds."
"This is war," Bethel said.
'A heinous act of violence'
Parker called the shooting a "heinous act of violence" at a press conference on May 27.
"We will — in this city of Philadelphia — be unapologetic about making sure that the public health and safety of our city and the people in our city is our number one priority," Parker said.
In an emotional plea, Parker said officials will continue to develop ways to combat violence in the city, including pushing to add more lighting in parks.
"I am never going to tire from going to war against the status quo, from going to war against lawlessness, and doing any and everything that we have to do to make Philadelphia safer," she said.
Where is Fairmount Park in Philadelphia?
Fairmount Park spans about 2,000 acres in northern Philadelphia, according to Visit Philadelphia.
The area is generally popular outside of holidays like Memorial Day, Bethel said.
"It's not uncommon for us to have large groups of individuals surge into the park," Bethel said. "We deal with those on a regular basis."
Bethel also added that the area was not well lit at the time of the shooting.
'This is significant'
Bethel also emphasized the gravity of the holiday during which the shooting occurred.
"This is significant," Bethel said. "It's Memorial Day — a day where we honor those who gave their lives in war. So we understand the significance of this event and we will make sure to provide an update later today."
Memorial Day, traditionally observed on the last Monday of May, is a federal holiday in the United States dedicated to honoring military personnel who have died in the line of duty.
This story has been updated with additional information and to include video.
Contributing: Reuters
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for Paste BN. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.