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A shooting during a Ramadan event Wednesday afternoon in Philadelphia left three people wounded and five suspects have been arrested, police said.
The incident occurred about 2:30 p.m. at the at the Clara Muhammad Square on 47th Street and Wyalusing Avenue in West Philadelphia, according to NBC Philadelphia.
There appeared to be two factions exchanging gunfire in the park and responding police officers observed four people fleeing the scene, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel told reporters. He said about 30 gunshots erupted in a park where about 1,000 people were gathered.
“We are very, very fortunate today that we did not have more individuals shot and anyone killed,” Bethel said. He lauded police and attendees for their bravery and actions. He said some at the event “grabbed kids and got them out of harm’s way. It was a collective effort today for those who are attending the event as well as our police officers.”
One of the officers engaged a 15-year-old male who had a weapon and shot him in the shoulder and leg, Bethel said.
Three individuals were shot — one by exchange of gunfire likely before police arrived, one by police gunfire, and a child who was shot in the hand from unknown gunfire — Bethel said.
During the shooting’s aftermath, a child also suffered a broken leg after being struck by a police vehicle, Bethel said.
The Philadelphia Masjid, a local mosque, is located near the scene of the shooting. The mosque was holding an event at the time of the gunfire. No one with the mosque could be immediately reached by NBC News on Wednesday afternoon.
The Council on American Islamic Relations said in an April 2 report last year marked the highest number of bias reports in its 30-year history.
The Muslim civil rights organization said it got 8,061 complaints nationally in 2023 from Muslims who reported experiencing discrimination or hate incidents. The figure represents a 56% increase from 2022.
Almost half of all complaints came in the final three months of the year, after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, which the report cites as the driving force of heightened Islamophobia.
