PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A family gathering ended in gunfire in Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion neighborhood.
Investigators say the shooter is 19-year-old Elijah Jones, a relative accused of shooting 46-year-old Reginald Bates twice in the chest, killing him in front of other family members, including a child.
The chaos happened on the 2100 block of 32nd Street just before 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
“The door must have been shut cause I didn’t hear the shot go off or shots,” said one neighbor.
Police said Bates doesn’t live at the location but Jones does, and that the violence started as a family dispute.
One bullet also hit Brian Colclough’s home across the street.
“I heard some people out here arguing and carrying on, but that’s about it,” Colclough said.
Any lower and the bullet would have entered his living room, where he was sitting minutes before the killing.
“I was here until about 12 a.m. last night, but I didn’t hear no shooting,” Colclough said, adding that it makes him nervous.
Police say they recovered a semi-automatic weapon and a loaded magazine from the home.
Officers are still searching for Jones.
Anyone with information on that suspect is urged to call police at 215-686-TIPS.
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