Multiple people were shot at an Eid al-Fitr event in Philadelphia marking the end of Ramadan.
Dozens of shots fired injured three people on Wednesday afternoon near the 4700 block of Wyalusing Avenue in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, police sources told FOX 29.
Among those injured was a police officer.
About 1,000 people were attending the Muslim holiday event at the Clara Muhammad Square around 2.30pm when two groups of people opened fire at each other at a park close by, said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel.
‘I walked through this event and we know that the majority, 99% of the individuals at this event, are good people who wanted to have a good time,’ said Bethel, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
‘And once again we have young people engaging in gunfire who just really destroyed the sanctity of what happened.’
Cops took three mean and a woman running away from the scene into custody and recovered four weapons, said investigators.
A cop shot an armed 15-year-old boy in the shoulder and leg, Bethel said. It was not immediately clear if the teenager fired at the officer first.
Another teen was shot in the hand and a 22-year-old man was shot in the stomach. Both teens and the adult were transported to a hospital. The 15-year-old and the man are in stable condition, Bethel said.
‘We’re very, very fortunate today that we did not have more individuals shot or anyone killed,’ Bethel said.
A large police presence in the area near the Philadelphia Masjid mosque near the park was recorded by SKYFOX.
As officers rushed to the area, a cop car struck a young girl and she sustained a fractured leg.
‘Clearly we send our prayers out to her and her family,’ Bethel said. ‘That is not our intended purpose and we will make sure we will be following up with her and her family to let them know that.’
Girard Meat Market general manager Abdallah Legh said he heard three to four gunshots and that at least a dozen children ran into his store located a couple hundred feet from a park area.
‘Everybody was running,’ he told the TV station.
An investigation at the scene is underway. (Metro)