Shooting at "pop-up hookah lounge" near Temple University campus leaves 2 injured, police say
A shooting near the campus of Temple University in North Philadelphia left two men injured early Monday morning.
Police said the shooting happened inside a "pop-up hookah lounge," located on the bottom floor of the Temple Crossing apartment building that serves as off-campus housing for some Temple students.
Officers responded to the building at North 10th and Diamond streets just after 3 a.m. after multiple reports of a shooting. That's where they found a 28-year-old man who had been shot four times in his torso and leg. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition. A second victim, a 48-year-old man, was also shot multiple times in the chest and leg and is in critical condition.
"You know, you see on the news it's a big city, crazy violent happenings like this all the time, but to see it literally on your front doorstep is pretty crazy," Temple student Miguel Gonzalez, who lives at the apartment building, said. "It makes it feel kind of real in a way, you hope you never experience."
Philadelphia Police Capt. Timothy Stephan told CBS News Philadelphia a "large number" of people were inside the unauthorized hookah lounge at the time of the shooting. He said a bullet penetrated a wall and entered the lobby of the housing building.
Stephan said the hookah lounge used to be a restaurant and had been vacant. The lounge, which is not authorized by the city, was investigated by Temple Police after complaints Friday and Saturday night.
The assistant property manager of the Temple Crossings apartments told CBS News Philadelphia the restaurant had a grand opening earlier this year but closed because the owners, a married couple, had a baby. The restaurant was in the process of opening back up, and the owners were renovating the place. The assistant property manager said the owners, who are not local, were unaware of the pop-up events or any complaints made to police.
No arrests have been made, and a motive for the shooting has not been determined.
Police believe there is no current threat to Temple students.
Stephan said investigators are checking nearby surveillance cameras for possible suspects. If you have any information on this incident, call the police.
