Two young men landed in the hospital after separate shootings along the 60th Street corridor in West Philadelphia early Tuesday, a jarring one-two punch of gunfire that has detectives trying to figure out whether the incidents are connected or just another grim coincidence. Police said officers responded just after midnight to reports of shots near 60th and Sansom Streets. When they arrived, they found a 21-year-old man on the street with two gunshot wounds to the stomach. He was conscious, talking and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
Inspector Scott Small told investigators the wounded man had a semi-automatic handgun that he was licensed to carry and that he returned fire after three males allegedly jumped out of a dark-colored SUV and opened up on him. At the scene, detectives counted about 15 spent shell casings and found a rifle tucked under a parked car. Small said the rifle did not appear to have been used in the shooting because its bullets did not match the casings on the ground, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
Roughly a quarter mile away, at 60th and Pine Streets, officers located a 20-year-old man with a graze wound to the head. He was also taken to a local hospital and listed in stable condition. Detectives are working to determine whether the two shootings are tied together or happened to unfold along the same stretch of 60th Street in the same hour.
Police said they were seeking a warrant for an apartment near 60th and Pine as part of the investigation. The dark SUV described at the Sansom Street scene had not been found as of Tuesday morning, and officers were pulling surveillance footage from the area to track its movements.
60th Street Corridor Hit With Spring Surge Of Shootings
For neighbors along 60th Street, the overnight gunfire was not an isolated shock. The corridor has been on edge this spring after several high-profile shootings in the same general area.
Hoodline recently covered rush-hour gunfire at 60th and Market, where bullets flew as commuters were heading home. In March, a mass shooting near 60th and Delancey left two people dead and others wounded, an incident detailed by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
City police have labeled parts of Market Street and nearby blocks as hotspots and have been pressing residents and business owners to share surveillance video or tips that might help solve recent cases or prevent the next one.
Detectives Dig Through Video As Police Seek Tips
Investigators are now reviewing surveillance footage from both 60th Street scenes and chasing down leads in the overnight shootings, NBC10 Philadelphia reported.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Philadelphia Police Department’s Shooting Investigation Group at 215-686-8270 or to call or text the anonymous tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477), according to the Philadelphia Police Department. Neighbors who have security cameras facing 60th Street or nearby corners are urged to save their footage and share it with detectives to help map out what happened before and after the gunfire.
For those living with the fallout of shootings, additional support and local resources are available through community organizations, including Resolve Philly’s citywide gun-violence resource guides. Resolve Philly offers a printable guide and contact information for services across the city.
The investigation into the twin 60th Street shootings remains active, and police are again turning to the public for help as detectives work to piece together the chaotic overnight timeline.
