Man Critical After Society Hill Shooting, Good Samaritan Speaks Out
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The normally quiet Society Hill neighborhood is on edge after police say a man was ambushed, robbed and critically wounded.
Police say the 46-year-old victim was walking to his overnight job.
Tuesday night, Eyewitness News spoke exclusively to a good samaritan who came to the victim's aid.
James Atkins said, "I've been praying for him."
Atkins remains hopeful the man, he found pleading for help, will pull through.
"I was telling him, stay with me, stay with me, don't fade away until the ambulance or police arrived," Atkins explained.
Atkins was wrapping up his shift at the Old Pine Street Church when he heard what sounded like gun shots just outside the building.
Atkins said, "He said he got shot. So I asked him who did it? Were you with him? And he said no and he said he couldn't feel his legs."
It happened at Lawrence Court and Pine Street around 11:30pm Monday and what happened, according to police, was caught on a surveillance camera nearby.
The video, police say, shows the victim confronted by two men. They get into a physical altercation and the victim falls to the ground. Police say that's when one of the suspects stood over the victim and fired a single gunshot. Police say the victim was shot once in the chest. The two suspects are seen on tape running away.
Lt. Ray Evers with the Philadelphia Police Department said, "What we have is two white males or two light-skinned Hispanic males running eastbound on Pine Street after the robbery. We believe it's a robbery. At this time, we don't believe anything was stolen. We can't really communicate with the victim because of his present state."
Gen Nelson said, "My reaction is it's shocking, it's unbelievable. I've lived in this neighborhood fifty years and I've never heard of anything like that."
Those who live and work in the Society Hill neighborhood admit they are now nervous after learning the victim appears to have been picked at random.
Atkins reflected, "It could have been me because I usually leave by that time."
As of Tuesday night, police did not release the victim's name but said he was from Southwest Philadelphia and worked in one of the buildings near Society Hill.
Eyewitness News learned from the victim's coworkers, the 46-year-old has held the same job for the last 26 years. The victim was described as reliable and responsible who arrived for work early everyday.
Police hope to make the surveillance video available to the public some time Wednesday.
Reported by Elizabeth Hur, CBS 3
