Police: Off-Duty Officer Injured, Man Killed At Southwest Philly Block Party Were Not Intended Targets
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — It was a July 4th cookout with grave consequences after stray gunfire killed one man and left and off-duty police officer injured in Southwest Philadelphia. Police are hoping to identify the suspect and are saying the victims were not the intended targets.
Police say both men were attending a 4th of July block party in the 7000 block of Buist Avenue when the gunfire erupted, around 10 p.m.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found 23-year-old Michael Boateng suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was taken to Penn-Presbyterian Medical Center where he later died.
Police also found 38-year-old Philadelphia Police Officer Fred Attakora suffering from gunshot wounds to his arm and abdomen. He is currently at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in stable condition. Attakora was off-duty at the time of the shooting. He is a three-year veteran of the department assigned to the 12th District.
"The people at the barbecue, at this point in the investigation, have no involvement. They were not the targets. They were just hit downrange by errant gunfire," said Philadelphia Police Capt. Jack Ryan.
Police say neither men were the intended targets. The shots were actually fired from a block away on Muhlfeld Street, where police say the suspected shooter had an argument with another person.
"A male opened fire, possibly on another male, on Mulfield Street just by Buist," said Ryan.
Investigators say at least six shots were fired. Surveillance video shows the chaos seconds after the shooting as people were leaving the scene.
"They are all from the Liberian community in Southwest Philadelphia, is our understanding, and a lot of these guys were in the same church together," said Ryan.
The Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police is offering a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of a suspect.
No arrests have been made.
