Firefighters pulled two women from a burning rowhome on the 8200 block of Williams Avenue in East Mount Airy around 4 a.m. Monday, only to discover both had been shot in the head. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead, and homicide detectives are now trying to piece together what happened inside the house before the flames broke out.
According to 6abc Philadelphia, fire crews responding to the home found a kitchen fire and multiple people inside. The two women were pulled out and taken to Einstein Hospital, where officials said both appeared to have been shot in the head. No further information about the victims had been released as of the station's report.
Fire crews had the flames under control roughly 30 minutes after arriving, placing the blaze under control at approximately 4:30 a.m., according to CBS Philadelphia. Once the fire was out, homicide detectives took over the scene to investigate the shootings, while authorities separately work to determine the cause of the fire itself.
A Block Already on Edge From Arson
The address is not unfamiliar to Philadelphia fire investigators. On September 21 and September 25, firefighters and police responded to two separate arson incidents on the very same 8200 block of Williams Avenue, where fires were set behind a home operating as a daycare, according to PhillyVoice. Neighbors told reporters at the time they had been left on edge by the two fire-setting incidents.
Philadelphia police arrested 36-year-old Iesha Jernigan on October 1, charging her with arson, causing or risking catastrophe, and possession of incendiary devices in connection with those September fires. The outlet's report notes Jernigan was taken into custody following a joint investigation by Northwest Detectives and federal ATF agents. It remains unclear whether that earlier arson case has any connection to Monday's fatal shooting and fire on the same block.
Victims Taken to Trauma Center
Both women were transported to Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, an accredited Level I Regional Resource Trauma Center equipped to handle critical gunshot and burn injuries. The 548-bed hospital is in North Philadelphia, per Jefferson Health.
The 8200 block of Williams Avenue falls within the Philadelphia Police Department's 14th Police District, which is headquartered on West Haines Street and patrols Mount Airy, Chestnut Hill, and parts of West Oak Lane, Hoodline previously reported. Homicide detectives typically work alongside 14th District officers during scene processing in cases like this one.
Investigation Into the Williams Avenue Fatal Fire
In the Williams Avenue fatal-fire investigation, the Philadelphia Police Department and Philadelphia Fire Department are investigating.
Under Pennsylvania law, arson causing death may constitute second-degree murder, while first-degree murder requires intent to kill. It is not yet known whether investigators have determined a motive or identified a suspect in Monday's killings.
Part of a Troubling Pattern in East Mount Airy
Monday's double homicide is not the only recent violence to hit the neighborhood. In April, East Mount Airy saw another fatal shooting on the 6300 block of Chew Avenue, where Hoodline reported a man suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead after being taken to Einstein Medical Center.
Anyone with information about the Williams Avenue killings can submit anonymous tips to the PPD Homicide Unit.
