Police Searching For 2 Men Wanted In Shooting That Injured 7 At West Philadelphia Playground
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Police are searching for two men who allegedly opened fire at a playground and injured seven people in the Overbrook section of the city. The incident happened just before 9 p.m. Saturday at Baker Playground located at 5433 Lansdowne Ave. in Overbrook.
Police say two armed men fired into a crowd while a basketball game and party were going on.
Officials say six men and one woman between the ages of 16 and 32 were rushed to area hospitals in stable condition, mainly suffering injuries to the arms and legs. A 16-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the head.
"Apparently there were so many people and it was so noisy that when police responded the people on the basketball court were still playing basketball," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said. "They didn't even know gunshots had been erupted."
Benjamin Wright was a referee at a basketball game at a city park several years ago when shots rang out.
7 People Shot During Neighborhood Basketball Game In West Philadelphia, Police Say
"Mander Playground was an outlet for guys to grow themselves, show themselves," Wright said. "I was shot during that job."
Now Wright wants playgrounds, a place he considers a safe zone for children, to be safer with more cameras installed.
According to the city, about 60% of parks and recreational facilities have cameras.
The Parks and Recreation Department says it is working to install strategically-placed CCTV at all of our parks and recreation sites.
"Are we at a point where we have to police playgrounds at night," Commissioner Ross questioned.
The first suspect is described as an African American male with short hair, between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot-2, wearing a black hoodie and between the ages of 19 and 25.
The second man was wearing a black t-shirt, and 5-foot-6.
If you have any information on these suspects, contact police immediately.
CBS3's Crystal Cranmore contributed to this report.
