PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Two people were killed Thursday night in Philadelphia in separate shootings, one of which injured seven and left two others in critical condition, police said.
The first shooting happened at 7:46 p.m., five minutes before officers were called to another shooting where they found a 56-year-old man shot 15 times. He was the only victim at the scene and died a short time later, police said.
The two killings added to violence that as of earlier this week had already caused more homicides than were recorded in the city all of last year.
Police said they have not made arrests in either of the reported shootings Thursday night.
A 29-year-old man was killed in the shooting that wounded seven. A 28-year-old man was shot multiple times and is in critical condition. A 25-year-old man shot once in the mid-section is also in critical condition. Police said the other victims are stable.
Commissioner Danielle Outlaw told reporters Tuesday that police were “working very diligently and passionately toward the goal of a safer Philadelphia.” That came a day after six homicides occurred, including a man who was shot to death in the parking lot of a home improvement store in the middle of the day.
Police department statistics showed 363 homicides as of Monday night - an increase of 40% over last year and already topping the yearlong total of 356 in 2019, itself already the highest homicide total in more than a decade.
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