PHILADELPHIA, PA – A fatal shooting took place in a home undergoing renovation in Philadelphia’s West Oak Lane section, leading to the death of a man and injury of a woman early on Monday. Philadelphia police are still piecing together the circumstances surrounding the incident but suggest a possible attempted break-in might have led to the shooting.
The local police, responding to call-ins of gunfire around 1 a.m., arrived at the site along the 7300 block of Sommers Road in West Oak Lane. The neighborhood, typically calm and quiet, is located near Washington Lane and West Cheltenham Avenue.
Investigations revealed both victims were shot, with the 45-year-old woman suffering a leg wound and the 44-year-old man enduring injuries to his chest and right arm. The latter victim was rushed to a medical facility, where he was declared dead.
Police said the victims had been simultaneously renovating and residing in the two-story duplex. They’ve been renovating this house for probably the last 15 or 20 years,” mentioned Pace, characterizing the incident as unusual for the otherwise peaceful neighborhood.
Investigators are not clear about the motive behind the shooting, although the shattered front window indicates a troubling occurrence at the residence. The majority of the shell casings were discovered near the front window, strengthening police suspicion about an attempted break-in.
Captain Anthony Ginaldi of the Philadelphia Police Department explained according to investigations, it appeared that the shooter was trying to break into the front of the house before opening fire. While multiple shots were fired into the house, there was no evidence of counterfire. Ginaldi clarified that there were no weapons stored inside of the property, only tools.
As the police await a warrant to investigate further inside the house, there have been no arrests connected to the incident thus far.