Police are investigating after gunfire erupted early Sunday near a lounge on North Lawrence Street, sending five people to a hospital.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A 34-year-old man was killed and four other people were wounded in a shooting early Sunday near a lounge in Philadelphia, according to police and local news reports.
Officers responded about 4:11 a.m. Oct. 18 to the 2800 block of North Lawrence Street, near Cambria Street, after reports of gunfire. The shooting occurred at or near Vari Lounge, according to reports from CBS Philadelphia, 6abc and FOX 29. Police transported the 34-year-old man to Temple University Hospital with gunshot wounds to his chest and back. Doctors pronounced him dead about 4:42 a.m., according to a police release cited by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Four other people were wounded. Police said a 36-year-old man was shot in the abdomen, one woman was wounded in her arm, wrist and leg, and another woman suffered graze wounds to her head and arm. A man in his 30s later arrived at Temple University Hospital with a gunshot wound to his left arm, according to The Inquirer.
The later police information cited by The Inquirer listed all four surviving victims in stable condition Sunday afternoon. An earlier 6abc report said two of the wounded people were in critical condition. Authorities had not publicly explained the difference between those reports as of Sunday evening.
Investigators had not announced an arrest or released a description of a possible shooter. Police also had not publicly identified the man who was killed or disclosed what investigators believe prompted the gunfire.
FOX 29 reported that numerous shell casings were visible around the crime scene after the shooting. The station also reported that a neighbor said an altercation began inside the establishment before moving onto the street. Police had not publicly confirmed that account in the reports available Sunday, and the circumstances leading to the shooting remained under investigation.
Local reports differed on whether the gunfire occurred primarily inside or outside the lounge. 6abc described the shooting as occurring inside Vari Lounge, while FOX 29 reported that an altercation spilled outside before gunfire erupted. CBS Philadelphia reported evidence markers outside the business. Authorities had not released a detailed public account resolving the sequence of events.
The shooting happened in the North Lawrence Street area of Philadelphia near Cambria Street. Some reports identified the neighborhood as Fairhill, while 6abc described the location as Kensington. Police were continuing to investigate the homicide and the shootings of the four surviving victims.
No motive, suspect description or arrest had been announced as of Sunday evening. The identity of the man who died had also not been released publicly. The investigation remained ongoing.
Author note: Last updated October 18, 2026.