Police: 14-Year-Old Was Shot in West Philly Last Night
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A 14-year-old boy was shot in the back in West Philadelphia on Tuesday night, just a day after City Council members vowed to make reducing youth gun violence the city’s top priority.
Two friends found the bloodied teen on the ground on 60th Street near Vine about 9:25 p.m.
The victim, who lives in Yeadon, Delaware County, was admitted to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in critical condition. The shooting might have left him paralyzed, a law enforcement source said.
Investigators have little information to work with thus far — no suspects, no motives, no witnesses. A shooting unfolded at 63rd and Race streets around the same time, but it’s unclear if the 14-year-old was wounded during that incident.
The 60th Street corridor has been plagued by gun violence. The area played host to 13 shootings during the last six months of 2015, and the attempted murder of officer Jesse Hartnett at the hands of a self-proclaimed terrorist in January.
City Council’s Committee on Public Safety hosted a marathon hearing on Monday on the topic of youth gun violence. Law enforcement officials, members of the clergy and grieving mothers-turned-activists took turns testifying about this ever-growing epidemic.
City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson said the committee hopes to create a comprehensive strategy to deal with the issue.
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