A 22-year-old campaign volunteer for One PA, a left-wing political organization, fatally shot a 46-year-old fellow volunteer on Monday afternoon as the individuals were garnering support for Helen Gym, a Democratic candidate for the Philadelphia mayoral primary.

Police did not reveal why the volunteer, who was in legal possession of his handgun, fired at the other volunteer, although the two had previously been engaged in a dispute, according to a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer. The men had each been canvassing in the East Germantown neighborhood in the northern portion of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Police Department Chief Inspector Scott Small told the outlet that the 22-year-old had remained at the scene to be questioned by detectives, while Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said the two individuals “happened upon each other.”

Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom added that the men “had always had a beef.”

The 46-year-old pulled a firearm that was unregistered to him when he met the 22-year-old on the street, prompting the latter to draw his handgun and shoot the man in the armpit. The younger canvasser told officers that he had acted in self-defense.

“Today, a One PA team member tragically lost their life,” the organization said in a statement. “We are heartbroken, and our condolences and sympathy are with their family. We are mourning this senseless loss, and continuing to gather the facts and investigate what happened.”

The One PA website said the group was initially launched as part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) but is now an independent “multiracial, intergenerational, and multi-issue membership organization.”

Gym is widely regarded as one of the more left-wing candidates in the mayoral primary, which is slated to occur next week. The former councilwoman’s campaign platform centers on community safety and supports declaring a state of emergency over gun violence.

“I was devastated to hear about the tragic death of a canvasser today,” Gym commented on social media. “My thoughts are with the family of the victim, the One PA community, and everyone impacted by this irrevocable loss. Though the canvasser was not part of our campaign, this loss is deeply felt by all of us.”

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Gym has received endorsements from prominent democratic socialists Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), as well as Philadelphia Democratic District Attorney Larry Krasner, who has drawn controversy for advancing lax bail policies and reduced prosecutions for certain crimes, prompting hundreds of attorneys to leave his office.

Elevated crime levels are a core issue in the mayoral elections. Philadelphia saw 516 homicides last year, just the 2021 total of 562 homicides, which was a decades long high in the City of Brotherly Love  according to data from the Philadelphia Police Department.