16-year-old killed in hail of gunfire, Philadelphia police say
Police uncovered 63 bullet casings at the scene of the shooting
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A 16-year-old in Philadelphia died in a hail of gunfire late Monday night in what police say was possibly a shootout between rival groups.
Officers found the teen, Shawn Grant, lying on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to his side, chest, back and legs, according to local media. The shooting reportedly took place at roughly 11:30 p.m., and Grant was rushed to the hospital but declared dead at 11:45 p.m.
Philadelphia Chief Inspector Scott Small announced that 63 shell casings were recovered on the scene.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police say Grant and his friend were returning to the friend's house from a nearby store when the shooting occurred.
Philadelphia Police investigators work the scene of a fatal overnight shooting on South Street in Philadelphia, Sunday, June 5, 2022. ((AP Photo/Michael Perez))
VIOLENT CRIMES ON THE RISE IN 2022, FOLLOWING PREVIOUS UNPRECEDENTED SPIKE IN MURDERS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Authorities did not identify the friend, who was absent when police found Grant, or offer comments on his condition.
Police say surveillance cameras captured a group of five males "wearing dark clothing" nearby the scene around the time of the shooting. The investigation is ongoing, however.
The shooting comes as Philadelphia and many other U.S. cities struggle with surging violent crime rates. Fox News Digital examined crime data from Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington, D.C., and found violent crimes have increased between 5% and 40% compared to the January-May time frame from 2021.
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Philadelphia saw a 4.7% increase in homicides in the first five months of 2022 compared to 2021, and a 2.2% increase in shootings.