The attackers fled the chaotic scene in the Kensington part of the city in a vehicle and remained at large on Sunday morning. Asked at a news conference if the gunmen posed a threat to the community, Deputy Commissioner John Stanford noted the number of injured and shell casings littering the street outside Jack’s Famous Bar and said: “I think this is a threat to public safety.” . Police investigate the intersection that was the scene of a shooting that injured 9 in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, November 5, 2022. WPVI-TC/ABC via AP The shooting unfolded around 10:45 p.m., as the neighborhood was packed with more than usual people enjoying an unusually warm November night, Stanford said. He said a group was mingling on the sidewalk outside the bar when multiple gunmen got out of a black vehicle sitting in the middle of East Allegheny Avenue, near Kensington Avenue, and opened fire on the crowd without warning. Police investigate the intersection that was the scene of a shooting that injured 9 in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, November 5, 2022. WPVI-TC/ABC via AP “At this time, it appears these individuals may have spotted someone they wanted to shoot, got out of the vehicle and just started shooting,” Stanford said, adding that investigators do not yet know the target or motive for the attack. . Stanford said the shooting occurred despite a heavy police presence already in the area. He said officers heard the gunshots and rushed to help the injured men and women as the shooters ran back into the dark vehicle and fled. He also noted that a narcotics task force was conducting an investigation within a half-block of the shooting. Police investigate the intersection that was the scene of a shooting that injured 9 in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, November 5, 2022. WPVI-TC/ABC via AP “We have some brazen individuals in this city who don’t care. They don’t care how many police officers are out here and some don’t care how many people are out here,” Stanford said. He said investigators have recovered at least 40 ballistics from the scene and plan to review surveillance video from businesses in the area in hopes of identifying the shooters. Police investigate the intersection that was the scene of a shooting that injured 9 in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, November 5, 2022. WPVI-TC/ABC via AP He said seven of the victims were in stable condition and two were in critical condition. The shootings came amid a 5 percent drop in both homicides and gun assaults in Philadelphia in the first 10 months of this year, compared to the same time period in 2021, according to police crime statistics. Philadelphia surpassed its annual homicide record in 2021, recording 562 murders. ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this story.
