Woman shot, killed after trying to break up fight in Kensington, police say

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two people were killed in separate shootings in Kensington overnight. One victim was targeted but the other wasn’t — police said she was just trying to break up a fight.

The first incident happened around 11:30 p.m. Sunday at East Indiana Avenue and C Street. A man was riding a motorized scooter when a silver car pulled up next to him.

“Individuals got out of that vehicle and began shooting at the gunshot victim multiple times, striking him multiple times at close range,” said Police Inspector D.F. Pace.

The shooters got away. The 28-year-old victim died at the hospital. A motive was not immediately clear to police.

Police said the second shooting took place about a half-hour later and less than a mile away on Kensington Avenue and A Street. A group of men were arguing in front of a store, and the situation escalated and became physical.

One of the men took out a gun, pointed it at another man and pulled the trigger, Pace said. But instead of hitting the man, he struck a woman.

“She was attempting to either mediate or break up the fight in some way, it appears,” Pace said.

Police took the 41-year-old victim to the hospital, where she died.

Police said they spoke with several persons of interest.

Authorities said real-time crime cameras captured at least a portion of both incidents and the footage will be used as they continue their investigations.