PHILADELPHIA (AP/WHTM) — Two Philadelphia police officers working at the city’s Fourth of July celebration on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway suffered graze wounds when shots rang out late Monday night, causing scores of frightened people to flee the scene on foot.
It’s not clear what sparked the shooting, which occurred around 9:45 p.m. Monday in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum, or if either officer was the intended target. One officer suffered a wound to the forehead — with officials saying the bullet was found in the officer’s hat — while the other was wounded in the shoulder.
Both officers were treated at a hospital and were later released. No other injuries were reported in the incident and no arrests have been made. Investigators have not yet determined where the shots were fired from or how many were fired.
In an overnight press conference, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, joined by Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Mayor Jim Kenney, said officers did not hear any shots or rounds fired.
Outlaw said it is too soon in the investigation to know if this was a ricochet of celebratory gunfire or an intentional shooting from long range.
“What really could have been a chaotic scene or a catastrophic scene wasn’t today, so I’m grateful for that, and I’m grateful for our personnel that were out there to get everyone else out of there safely,” Outlaw said.
Mayor Kenney said the increasing violence in the city has left him “looking forward to not being mayor.” He also cited frustration over efforts to toughen gun laws.
“This is a gun country. It’s crazy. We are the most armed country in world history and we are one of the least safe,” Kenney said. “I’m waiting for something bad to happen all the time. I’ll be happy when I’m not mayor and I can enjoy some stuff.”
As of Tuesday morning, no arrests had been made in the incident, but police say they are following up on several leads. The names of the injured officers have not yet been shared, but both have been treated and released from the hospital.
U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) tweeted that his “thoughts are with the officers and their families” after the shooting around 10 p.m.
Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) released a statement saying he’s “absolutely gutted by the reports of a shooting tonight in the Philadelphia Art Museum area during the July 4th concert.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
