'Philadelphia Has Gone To Hell In A Handbasket': City Experiencing Spike In Shootings, Homicides
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia is experiencing a spike in shootings and homicides as summer nears. In Frankford on Tuesday morning, a 26-year-old man was killed after someone shot him multiple times in the head, chest and legs, and overnight in Southwest Philadelphia, a 14-year-old boy was shot while he was outside with his friends.
In the Frankford homicide, neighbors counted at least a dozen gunshots zipping through the air near Brill and Horrocks Streets. The shooting happened near Ed Kuhn's home, who is getting frustrated with the amount of shootings in the city.
"I'll be glad when God takes me outta here because Philadelphia has gone to hell in a handbasket," Kuhn said. "I just don't understand what they're doing."
A 14-year-old boy is expected to be OK after being shot in the forearm late Monday night.
"I believe he was outside, hanging with his friends, and there was the sound of gunshots," Philadelphia Police Capt. Sekou Kinebrew said. "He realized shortly thereafter he had been shot."
The shootings reached a crescendo on Sunday when a total of nine people were hit by gunfire. One person died. People were wounded in Olney, Southwest and West Philadelphia.
Police have been expecting a bump in the number of shootings once summer hits, but Sunday was a challenge, authorities say. The department has used an infusion of extra officers, as well as new police officers to target areas where retaliatory violence may pop up.
"We did graduate an academy class last Monday," Kinebrew said. "They've been deployed as part of the summer initiative to various hot spots we are covering under Operation Pinpoint."
Operation Pinpoint is a tactical law enforcement program designed to hit pockets of high crime through a variety of measures, including intelligence.
Shootings are up 3% and homicides are up more than 6% so far this year.