A 20-year-old man is wanted for murder after a shooting outside a Kensington bar left one person dead and four others wounded early Sunday morning. Police say Steven Velez-Cruz is considered armed and dangerous as the search continues for him days after the violence erupted on North Lawrence Street.
The shooting happened shortly after 4 a.m. on Oct. 18 on the 2800 block of North Lawrence Street near Cambria Street, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. Louis Soto, 34, died after being shot in the chest and back, the station reported. Evidence markers were seen outside Vari Bar and Lounge, the scene of the shooting, according to CBS News Philadelphia.
According to 6abc Philadelphia, police have identified the shooting victims as two men and two women, and say the four surviving victims were taken to a hospital and are expected to recover. All four of the wounded were reported in stable condition, per CBS News Philadelphia.
Conflicting Accounts of the Wounded
Exactly how many people were shot and how badly has been described differently across outlets. NBC10 Philadelphia reported that a 37-year-old man, a 31-year-old woman and a 21-year-old woman were hospitalized with gunshot or graze wounds, along with a 35-year-old man who arrived at Temple University Hospital with a gunshot wound to his left arm. CBS News Philadelphia, meanwhile, described a 36-year-old man shot in the abdomen, a woman shot in her arm and leg, a woman with graze wounds to her head and arm, and a man in his 30s shot in the arm. The discrepancies between the two accounts have not been resolved by an official source.
An argument reportedly broke out inside Vari Bar and Lounge before the gunfire began, according to KYW Newsradio. The outlet also reported that investigators believe there was a second shooter they are still working to identify. Police have not detailed what sparked the dispute or said who fired which rounds.
Arrest Warrant, Reward and an Ongoing Search
Philadelphia police said an arrest warrant has been issued for Velez-Cruz, who faces charges of murder, conspiracy, attempted murder, aggravated assault and other offenses, per the NBC10 Philadelphia report. He is considered armed and dangerous, and a $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction. The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to call the Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or the PPD tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
A Neighborhood Long Marked by Gun Violence
The shooting adds to a grim recent history in Kensington, which has been described as the epicenter of Philadelphia's gun violence crisis. Broader reporting cited by The Philadelphia Inquirer found that people living in Kensington experienced more concentrated gun violence between 2020 and 2023 than almost anywhere else in the country, with 64 gun homicides recorded within a quarter-mile of a block just east of Kensington and Allegheny avenues — the highest tally for any block nationwide. Citywide, about three-quarters of Philadelphia residents lived within a quarter-mile of at least one fatal shooting during that same stretch, up from 65% in the four years before the pandemic.
Still, the Inquirer's reporting noted signs of improvement more recently, with police statistics showing homicides and nonfatal shootings both down more than 37% and 40%, respectively, compared with the prior year's pace as of early 2024. For now, though, investigators in the Soto case are focused on finding Velez-Cruz, with no confirmation yet on whether he has been taken into custody.
