Shots were fired at a Philadelphia public transportation facility on Wednesday afternoon, leaving more than half a dozen injured, according to the Washington Examiner.
Gunfire reportedly erupted just before 3 p.m. at Olney Transportation Center in northern Philadelphia. Seven people were shot, according to the Examiner.
The victims were said to have ranged from 17 to 70 years old.
“It’s very brazen”
According to a report cited by the Examiner, “authorities said those who were wounded were shot in their backs, ankles, legs, and arms.”
“It’s very brazen,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said, as the Examiner reported. “We had officers, whether it’s from SEPTA [Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority], we’re out here. We were able to get someone in custody as quickly as we did because we had officers in the area working on another assignment.”
She went on: “So it’s not for our lack of presence out here, but I think it’s very telling that folks that are willing to engage in these shootings are becoming more and more emboldened, regardless or not if they see us out here.”
The Examiner reported that police have one suspect in custody, who was detained after a “foot chase.” Two firearms were found at the scene, police reportedly said.
Shootings on the rise
Sadly, violent crime has been increasing across the nation in recent years, with many cities seeing a sharp rise in shootings since the wave of anti-police rioting first hit American streets last summer.
Fox News reported on Feb. 2 that a report from the National Commission of COVID-19 and Criminal Justice looked at the situation in 34 cities and found troubling trends: Homicides had increased by some 30% between 2019 and 2020, and firearm offenses and aggravated assaults saw increases, as well.
“[T]here was a structural break in the city average in June, indicating a large, statistically significant increase in rates after adjusting for seasonality and the longer-term trend,” the report said, according to Fox.
“After this break, homicide rates increased sharply through July then declined through the end of the year, though not to levels observed in the prior year,” it added.
Curiously, the report appeared to downplay the effects of violent upheaval, arguing that “the connection between police violence, protests and social unrest, and heightened community violence remains uncertain.”
The post Suspect in custody after 7 shot at Philadelphia transportation hub: Report first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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