Three people were injured in a shooting near a large gathering to mark the end of Ramadan in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Five suspects, including a wounded teenage boy, were taken into custody after two groups exchanged fire in Clara Muhammad Square in West Philadelphia at about 2.30pm, according to Kevin Bethel, the police commissioner.
About 1,000 worshippers had gathered at the square to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr when around 30 shots were fired by the two groups, Bethel said.
The gunfire caused hundreds of bystanders to flee, abandoning chairs and tables in the park, a local shopkeeper told The Times. Officers who had been ticketing cars nearby observed the two groups exchanging fire.
A 15-year-old boy allegedly shot at one of the officers, who then returned fire, striking the teenager in the shoulder and leg, according to police. The boy was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries and has been placed under arrest.
Advertisement
Three men and a woman, all of whom were armed, were also arrested and four guns were recovered from the scene.
A 22-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach, while a teenager arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound to his hands. Both were expected to survive.
In the confusion, a child suffered a broken leg after being struck by a police vehicle, Bethel said.
Abdallah Legh, the manager of Girard Meat Market nearby, described hearing three or four shots fired, before about two dozen children ran into his store to take shelter.
Legh told The Times he saw hundreds of people running away from the square. By 4pm, the sense of panic had subsided, he said.
Advertisement
The Philadelphia Masjid and the Sister Clara Muhammad School are located near the square, and had been holding celebrations near the scene of the shooting to mark the end of Ramadan.