Two people are dead after a mass shooting in Philadelphia‘s Fairmount Park on Monday.
Nine others were injured in the Memorial Day shooting, among them three teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17, according to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel in a late-night press conference. Bethel said the park is used to hosting large groups of people, especially on holidays, “with no issue.”
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Police have yet to reveal whether there was a single gunman or multiple. There is no suspect in custody or weapon recovered.
“There are going to be folks that are going to say that, ‘Hey, the police should have been out here.’ We’re in the park. People come in here, it’s Memorial Day. So, we try to manage the crowds as they unfold,” Bethel said. “But at the same token, it is a challenge when individuals decide that they’re going to fire into a crowd. That’s something that we can’t anticipate.”
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Police are investigating videos of the incident posted on social media. While the department tends to be active on social media, posting photos of suspects and soliciting the community’s help in identifying them, as of Tuesday morning, no information had been released.
Homicides have been on the decline in the city. Last year, the Philadelphia Police Department reported 50 homicides, which was over 25% fewer than in 2023.