PHILADELPHIA — A 19-year-old man is in custody following a fatal shooting that occurred late Wednesday night in Southwest Philadelphia. Authorities believe the suspect used a stolen bicycle to reach the scene and later fled on an electric scooter after the incident.
Police responded to reports of gunfire around 10:03 p.m. at the intersection of 66th Street and Dick’s Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered a 19-year-old male lying unresponsive on the sidewalk near a dumpster outside a convenience store. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 10:21 p.m.
Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace noted that surveillance footage from the store revealed the suspect arrived on a bicycle. The video captured him shooting the victim in the back. After the initial shot, the shooter fired multiple rounds as the victim fell to the ground. After committing the act, he abandoned the bicycle and fled the scene.
As investigators processed the area, a man approached officers and claimed the abandoned bike was his. He reported that it had been stolen earlier the same night while he was waiting for a SEPTA bus at 64th Street and Lindberg Avenue. Unbeknownst to him, the bicycle had been involved in the shooting.
Shortly thereafter, another report came in about the theft of an electric scooter from a victim riding near the 2600 block of Daggett, approximately two blocks from where the shooting occurred. Police suspect that the individual who stole the scooter is the same person responsible for the earlier attack, as he used it for his getaway.
The next morning, police located the suspect at the intersection of 84th Street and Bartram Avenue, taking him into custody. Authorities are currently withholding the identities of both the suspect and the victim while they await formal charges and notification of the victim’s family.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing as police continue to gather evidence and witness statements. Residents in the area expressed their concern over the violence, calling for increased measures to ensure safety in the community.