Philly Police Officers Shoot, Kill Gunman Who Opened Fire On Crowd, Killing Teen, Injuring Another Christmas Morning
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- An investigation is underway after two Philadelphia police officers shot and killed a man they said fired into a crowd killing one teenager and injured a second on Christmas morning. Neighbors said it all began over an argument about a parking spot.
Eyewitness News learned Friday night the accused gunman and the teenagers are related.
The family of the man killed by police claim he wasn't the shooter.
Philadelphia police said officers shot and killed a man who they say had fired a gun, but the man's family has a different account of what happened. They said he couldn't have fired a gun because he didn't have one. Neighbors who saw the shooting said that as well.
A makeshift memorial on the 3300 block of Emerald Street in Kensington is a reminder of a deadly overnight shooting involving Philadelphia police.
"I wound up going to my other window and I see three bodies lying on the ground," O'Lyn Brown, a neighbor, said.
Just before 12:30 a.m. Friday morning, a call came in about a fight in the area. Neighbors told Eyewitness News that it was over a parking lot.
Police said after two officers showed up, a large crowd formed, and people started pushing and punching each other. It was at that time, police said, a 43-year-old man fired into the crowd, striking two teenage boys -- a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old. That's when police said the officers fired their guns, hitting the man. The man and the 15-year-old boy died at Temple University Hospital.
Police said the gun was stolen out of Virginia.
Lakisha Rivera, who lives in the neighborhood, told Eyewitness News that she is the accused gunman's partner. While she didn't want to go on camera, she identified the man as Jesus Perez and claims he wasn't armed. She added the 15-year-old who was killed is their son while the 17-year-old who survived is her nephew.
"For her to lose her son and her husband and the nephew is in critical condition, gonna be paralyzed for the rest of his life, that's not cool," Brown said.
Philadelphia police said an investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact the police.
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