Police say a shooting erupted following a football scrimmage at Roxborough High School on Tuesday afternoon, killing one teen and injuring four others.
Just before 5 p.m., officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the 300 block of Fairway Terrace for reports of a shooting.
Police have found four teenagers, including two 14-year-olds, with gunshot wounds and rushed them to local hospitals. Another 14-year-old student was treated for a graze wound at the scene.
According to police, one of the 14-year-olds who was struck in the chest was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center and died. Nicholas Elizalde of Havertown, Pennsylvania, was later identified.
A 17-year-old suffered gunshot wounds to the arm and leg, while a 14-year-old and 15-year-old were both shot in the leg. All three are said to be in stable condition.
According to law enforcement sources, at least five shooters were involved, and more than 60 spent shell casings from three different guns were recovered from the scene.
According to sources, authorities are also looking for the car that the alleged suspects were seen getting into. Officials have not yet released information about the vehicle’s make or model.
According to Deputy Commissioner John Stanford, the shooting occurred following a joint practice between Roxborough High School, Northeast High School, and Boys Latin High School.
The students, who police believe are all Roxborough High School players, were walking down Pechin Street when they were “ambushed” by at least two gunmen, according to police.
“I am absolutely outraged, I’m shocked, quite frankly I’m a little shaken,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said. “Schools are supposed to be the answer, they’re supposed to be the answer, we keep kids in schools, so they don’t get involved in the shooting.”
The deadly shooting comes just days after Philadelphia surpassed 400 homicides this year, a slight increase from a historically bloody 2021.
“Schools used to be a safe haven for our young people,” Special Advisor on School Safety Kevin Bethel told reporters. “To see that now our young people can’t even come to a scrimmage game and be shot is totally unacceptable.”
As deadly violence continues to plague the city, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed an executive order prohibiting guns from recreation spaces and facilities just hours before the deadly shooting.
“There are no words for what transpired earlier tonight. Another young life has been cut short and others injured by needless violence,” Kenney tweeted following the shooting. “The violence must stop and the cowards who use these weapons must be held accountable.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Philadelphia officials will hold a press conference to provide an update on the shooting investigation.