8 shot, 1 killed after gunfire in multiple Philadelphia neighborhoods

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are working to solve a number of separate shootings that occurred in four neighborhoods Tuesday night.

It was a violent night filled with an unusual amount of shootings during a year when the city has seen a significant drop in gun violence.

Police said a total of eight people were shot, including two teenagers. Another victim, an adult male, was killed.

A 15-year-old is in critical condition after becoming the first shooting victim Tuesday night.

Investigators said someone shot him at around 7:30 p.m. at the corner of Penn and Bridge Streets in the city's Frankford section.

"He was suffering from a gunshot wound to his lower back," said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

Police said at least 20 people were playing basketball across the street at the Frankford Playground when the boy was shot.

They also said a SEPTA bus driver saw the shooting while turning out of the nearby bus garage.

"We're going to pull the recordings from that SEPTA bus," Small said.

The next shooting happened just before 9 p.m. in West Philadelphia in the area of 59th and Ludlow.

That's where investigators said a 47-year-old man was shot and killed during a shootout.

"We found a total of 18 spent shell casings," Small said.

Police said multiple guns were also fired during a shooting that injured three men in Grays Ferry.

A Range Rover is among two vehicles struck by bullets when the victims were shot at around 9:15 p.m. in the area of Stanley and Tasker Streets.

Lastly, the busy night continued for investigators with another triple shooting.

Officers were seen from Chopper 6 using flashlights in search of evidence at North Gratz and Jefferson Streets in North Philadelphia.

They said this was a drive-by shooting that occurred at around 10:30 p.m. after a large fight two hours prior.

"According to a witness, the shooter or shooters were in a white SUV vehicle, either a Jeep or a Durango," Small said.

The shots fired from that SUV struck a 16-year-old boy and two women, ages 34 and 36.

All three are expected to survive.

Police now have their hands full with all of these cases.