Tragedy struck Philadelphia's Kensington section when a woman, believed to be in her late 20s or early 30s, was struck and killed by a stray bullet. The incident, which took place outside the Steak & Beer store along the 2700 block of Kensington Avenue around 12:30 a.m., began with a fight between men inside the store and quickly escalated as it spilled out onto the street, as reported by FOX 29 News. Police have yet to release the identity of the victim.
According to 6ABC, the altercation quickly turned deadly when one of the individuals involved fired a shot at another group, but instead fatally hit an innocent bystander — a woman who just happened to be passing by almost half a block away. The woman was immediately rushed to a local hospital after police, flagged down by witnesses, found her with a chest wound. She was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Chief Inspector Scott Small highlighted the significance of surveillance footage in the ongoing investigation. "In addition to the beer takeout that does have surveillance cameras, we found numerous other businesses on both sides of the street that also have exterior surveillance cameras, so we're pretty confident there's going to be additional recordings," Small said, as noted in a statement obtained by 6ABC. This evidence is expected to aid in tracking down the suspected shooter.
Furthermore, PHL17 News reports that the Philadelphia Police Department is currently reviewing surveillance footage from both inside and outside the store in hopes of identifying the suspect. Police urge anyone with information to come forward and contact the PPD's tipline at 215-686-8477.
