A Memorial Day celebration turned into tragedy when two people were shot dead and several others wounded in a Pennsylvania park.
Just before 10.30pm Monday evening, multiple rounds of ‘rapid’ gunfire erupted on Lemon Hill Drive in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, where thousands had gathered to celebrate the long holiday weekend, Philadelphia police said.
When the shots were fired, a total of 11 people – ranging in age from 15 to 28 – were struck, including Amya Devlin, 23, and Mikhail Bowers, 21, who were tragically killed in the incident, CBS News reported.
Three teenagers – aged 15, 16 and 17 – were among those injured in the shooting.
An additional victim was taken to the hospital after being hit by a car in the chaos that followed, according to CBS News.
‘This is significant,’ Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said at a media briefing on Tuesday.
‘It’s Memorial Day – a day where we honor those who gave their lives in war,’ he added.
‘So we understand the significance of this event and we will make sure to provide an update later today.’
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The victims were taken to several hospitals, including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Temple University Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center, according to CBS News.
All of the individuals who were wounded are reportedly in stable condition.
According to the Horry County Police Department, early investigations indicated that the shooting ‘resulted from an altercation during a private Memorial Day weekend gathering on a charter boat’, as reported by The Independent.
Yet at this time, no arrests have been made and no weapons have been recovered. It remains unclear how exactly the incident started and how many shooters were involved.
‘We expect that we’ll start to pick up a lot of information… as the day unfolds,’ Bethel said.
However, Bethel clarified that officials believe the weapon used in the devastating tragedy may have been modified with a switch, enabling a semi-automatic Glock pistol to fire like a machine gun, resulting in ‘rapid’ gunfire.
‘Glock switches’ are becoming increasingly common in shooting investigations across the city, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told CBS News.
These parts are often easy to install, difficult to detect, and in some cases, can even be produced using a 3D printer.
According to Bethel, lighting in the area was also inadequate at the time of the shooting.
At around 10.27pm Monday evening, a large crowd at Fairmount Park – gathered to wrap up the long holiday weekend – reported hearing gunshots.
‘They were packing up as this incident unfolded,’ Bethel explained.
Two young women told Fox 29 News that they had been at a cookout all day when they suddenly heard gunfire.
‘Everybody scattered,’ one of the women told the outlet, adding that about 1,000 people had gathered for the holiday.
‘I seen two people drop,’ said the other.
Fairmount Park spans roughly 2,000 acres in northern Philadelphia, according to Visit Philadelphia.
Bethel noted that the area is typically popular, even outside of holidays like Memorial Day.
‘It’s not uncommon for us to have large groups of individuals surge into the park,’ Bethel stated. ‘We deal with those on a regular basis.’
‘We try to manage the crowds as they unfold, but at the same token, it is a challenge when individuals decide that they are going to fire into a crowd, that is something we can’t anticipate,’ he added.
An investigation was promptly launched following the shooting, with Philadelphia police officers scouring the park’s grass for clues – including bullet casings.
Floodlights were also set up to illuminate the dark park, but police admitted that the poor lighting was complicating their investigation, as reported by The Independent.
‘It’s a very, very large scene,’ Bethel said in the early hours of Tuesday morning. ‘We’ll be here ’til daylight.’
Fairmount Park remained closed into Tuesday morning as police continued their investigation, with sections of the area cordoned off with tape.
As police comb through the crime scene, daylight has since revealed the remnants left behind by the hundreds of park-goers who fled in terror when gunfire erupted.
Black garbage bags lay open on the grass, half-filled with trash, while remnants of snacks were left scattered across a picnic table.
Several shoes were also discarded among the debris, abandoned by people fleeing their Memorial Day cookouts when the firearm rang out.
On Tuesday, police released the ages of each shooting victim along with details of their injuries.
Devlin, 23, was pronounced dead shortly after she was transported to the hospital. Less than an hour later, 21-year-old Bowers was also pronounced dead at the same facility.
A 15-year-old male sustained a gunshot wound to the left thigh, while a 28-year-old and a 20-year-old male were both shot in the left arm.
A 19-year-old female sustained a gunshot wound to the head, while a second 19-year-old female was struck in the left hand.
A 17-year-old female sustained a gunshot wound to the left leg, while a second teen, a 16-year-old female, was shot in the left thigh.
The final two victims of Monday’s mass shooting were a 23-year-old woman who sustained a gunshot wound to the nose and an 18-year-old woman who was shot in the foot.
Each victim was subsequently transported to the hospital for treatment following the incident.
Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick said he was praying for the victims of Monday night’s shooting on a post shared to X on Tuesday.
‘Praying for all those involved in this senseless act of violence. Dina and I are thankful for [Philadelphia Police] and all the first responders helping those who were injured,’ the Republican senator said.
The deadly incident at Fairmount Park was the third shooting in Philadelphia on Memorial Day, The Independent reported.
Just after 3.30pm, a man in his 50s was fatally shot a separate incident.
Later that evening, at around 7.30pm, a 66-year-old man was taken to the hospital in critical condition after being shot in the head during a separate fight. A 74-year-old suspect has been arrested in relation to the shooting.
