A woman believed to be in her 50s was shot and killed early Tuesday morning after police say another woman fired through the steel door of a North Philadelphia apartment. Officers were already on scene responding to a report of a break-in when they heard the gunshot from inside the building. No arrests have been made as investigators continue piecing together what happened.
Philadelphia police received a 911 call around 3 a.m. reporting that a woman was breaking into a first-floor apartment on West Girard Avenue near 16th Street, according to 6abc. Arriving officers heard a gunshot coming from inside the building as they responded to the call. The woman who was shot was taken to Temple Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Victim Lived in the Same Building
The woman who died was a resident who lived in a different unit of the same building, not the apartment whose door was struck by gunfire, the station's report notes. She has not yet been identified but is believed to be in her 50s. The woman who opened fire on the other side of the door is cooperating with police, per the same account.
Investigators have pointed to the design of the door itself as a key detail in the case. The door is described as a steel door with no windows and no peephole, meaning whoever fired through it would not have been able to see who or what was on the other side before pulling the trigger.
No Arrests as Investigation Continues
Fox 29 Philadelphia reported Tuesday that no arrests had been made in connection with the shooting. The circumstances that led up to the reported break-in, and what unfolded in the moments before the gunshot, remain under investigation.
