A fight over a parking space spiraled into gunfire Monday night in Philadelphia’s Wissinoming neighborhood, leaving a 31-year-old man shot in the leg and a 28-year-old man in police custody, investigators said.
The clash unfolded in the rear parking lot of an apartment building on the 5900 block of Jackson Street, where police say a dispute over who could park where escalated from words to a single shot. The wounded man was rushed by a witness to a nearby fire station, then taken to Jefferson Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, according to police.
Arrest and evidence
When officers arrived, they found a 28-year-old man who allegedly told them he had just shot another man. He was detained on the spot and taken into custody while officers locked down the scene and called in detectives.
Investigators later executed a search warrant at the suspect’s nearby apartment on the 5900 block of Jackson Street and recovered a black Ruger Security .380 handgun, police told 6abc.
Victim and response
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, the victim, identified only as a 31-year-old man, was shot once in the leg. A witness loaded him into a vehicle and drove him to a nearby fire station, where firefighters and medics began treating him before he was transported to Jefferson Hospital.
Back at the apartment lot, officers found one spent shell casing in the rear parking area as detectives canvassed the complex looking for additional witnesses and any surveillance cameras that might have captured the confrontation.
Parking rows have turned deadly before
Investigators believe the shooting grew out of an argument over a parking spot, the kind of everyday flare-up that has increasingly had violent consequences in the city. Last Thursday, in an unrelated case, a separate parking dispute in Germantown ended with a man fatally shot, according to 6abc.
Investigation status
The 28-year-old suspect remains in police custody and charges are pending while detectives work to piece together exactly how the argument turned into a shooting, law enforcement sources told NBC10 Philadelphia. Investigators say they plan to pull surveillance footage from the area and continue knocking on doors as they build their case.
How to help investigators
Police are asking anyone who saw what happened, has surveillance footage from the block or has heard anything about the shooting to contact the Philadelphia Police tip line or the department’s Shooting Investigations Group. The Philadelphia Police Department lists its anonymous tip number and SIG contacts on its official site. Tips can be submitted at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or by calling the Shooting Investigations Group at 215-686-8271, per the Philadelphia Police Department.
