At least 3 shot when gunfire erupts at Philadelphia neighborhood Eid event; 5 people in custody
The shooting happened in an area where residents were celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
PHILADELPHIA -- Three people were shot and five people are in custody after gunfire erupted in a Philadelphia park where an Eid al-Fitr event, to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, was taking place.
Gunfire erupted around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Parkside neighborhood as an estimated 1,000 people were at the celebration.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said two factions inside the park exchanged gunfire, and some 30 shots were fired.
Officers who were on detail in the area managed to stop three males and a female, all of whom were taken into custody.
Four guns were recovered at the scene, Bethel said.
Meanwhile, one of the police officers engaged an armed 15-year-old male, shooting that teen in the shoulder and leg.
The officer secured the gun and then took the teen to the hospital, Bethel said. That 15-year-old is also under arrest.
A 22-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach, while a juvenile arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound to his hands.
No one was killed in the shooting.
Amid the chaos, Bethel said a police vehicle struck a child and she suffered a fractured leg. Bethel said the department is sending prayers to her and will be reaching out to her family.
Video from sister station WPVI's Chopper 6 showed multiple tables, chairs and tents that were abandoned in the chaos.
"I just saw everybody just running and frantic, you know, everybody. The kids, people's strollers getting turned over, everybody screaming," said one witness who did not want to be identified. "I heard fireworks... and it sort of turned into gunshots."
"Everybody just ran away like it was an elephant stampede," she continued.
Police officers could be seen conducting a meticulous search for shell casings and evidence of gunfire.
'You had little babies out there'
Action News spoke to one woman whose cousin was shot while fleeing the gunfire.
"We applied pressure and they put him right into the cop car," she recalled.
The relative said it was a happy day filled with cultural and religious celebration, and it just quickly turned to chaos.
"It was very scary to see all of them people laying down on the ground like that in fear of their lives. It's sad in Philadelphia, it's very sad. You can't even have a celebration without having to worry about somebody getting shot. It's sad. You had little babies out there," she said.
What is Eid al-Fitr?
As the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, Muslims are celebrating the holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
Eid marks the end of Ramadan, a month when devout Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset.
Eid al-Fitr means the feast, or festival, of breaking the fast. The holiday is with congregational prayers and festivities, which typically include family visits, gatherings, and new clothes.
This is a developing story. Please come back for more updates.
