A mass shooting early Monday morning, July 7, in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood left three people dead and nine others hurt, capping what officials called an unusually violent weekend for the city. Police are currently looking for three suspects.
The gunfire erupted just before 1 a.m. along the 1500 block of South Etting Street. Video from a Ring doorbell camera showed several people drawing weapons and firing in what police described as a chaotic and indiscriminate shootout that lasted several minutes.
Officers were already nearby, having responded to reports of large crowds and loud music, when they heard shots ring out. When they arrived at the scene, they found 12 victims of gunfire, ranging in age from 15 to 24. Another person was injured trying to escape but was not shot.
The three people who died were men aged 19, 23, and 24. Among those wounded were a 15-year-old girl and two boys aged 17. One 19-year-old man is still in critical condition, while the rest of the injured, between the ages of 18 and 24, are expected to survive.
The victims who lost their lives have been identified as 23-year-old Zahir Wylie from Marilyn Road, 19-year-old Jason Reese from Media Street, and 24-year-old Azir Harris from College Avenue.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel denounced the shooters, pointing out that they fired without regard for the children nearby. He called their actions “cowardly” and said it was hard to comprehend why anyone would do such a thing.
Police have arrested at least one armed individual, though they are still determining that person’s role in the incident. The Ring camera footage is now a critical piece of evidence in the investigation.
The violence had a profound effect on the local community, especially those working to combat it. Tyrique Glasgow, executive director of the Young Chances Foundation, a neighborhood youth organization in Grays Ferry, shared his frustration over the shooting.
Glasgow said he personally knows many of the victims. He mentioned that several were working toward new job opportunities and attending vocational school, and that having their lives disrupted by gun violence was deeply upsetting for the entire neighborhood.
Duncan, another community leader, expressed heartbreak over the wave of violence in South Philadelphia. Some of the people affected were his own friends and family members, he said, and it is difficult for him to watch the city’s youth lose their future before it truly begins.
After the shooting, residents were left to clean up blood and debris from the area, as city workers were still on strike. Glasgow noted that the tragedy forced a delay for planned summer camp programs in response to its impact on the neighborhood.
The Grays Ferry shooting capped off an especially bloody weekend in Philadelphia. Commissioner Bethel said that 46 people were shot between Friday and early Monday, including the mass shooting on South Etting Street.
The string of violence included several other mass shootings. Early Saturday morning, eight people were wounded at a bar on South 11th Street in South Philadelphia. In North Philadelphia, three people were shot early Sunday among a large crowd on Edgley Street.
Another shooting—this one unrelated to Grays Ferry—left four people wounded early Monday near 62nd and Vine streets, and police are investigating that case as well.
Officers had already made several arrests before the Grays Ferry shooting, though exact details about those cases and any connections to the recent violence were not immediately released. Police had been actively watching for large gatherings and loud music as the weekend unfolded.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about any of the shootings to come forward. Tips can be shared with Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS or submitted anonymously online. Anyone with information can contact Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS or submit anonymous tips online.