1 killed, 5 injured in Philadelphia graduation party shooting

A Sunday night shooting at a graduation party capped off an extremely violent weekend in Philadelphia.

One man was killed and five people were injured by a hail of gunfire near South 70th Street and Reed Bird Place at a graduation party with about 60 people in attendance at about 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to the Associated Press.

Police say 24-year-old Isiaka Meite was shot in the back and died at a hospital.

Three teenage boys ranging in age from 15 to 17 and a 16-year-old girl were all shot in the legs or ankles and were listed in stable condition, the AP reported. A 21-year-old man was shot in his elbow and was also stable.

Police Commissioner Richard Ross told The Inquirer on Monday that the gunman emerged from a group of three men hanging out in a parking lot and opened fire, striking six people. Ross said whoever was behind the shooting knew there would be a party and the intended target would likely be there.

The suspect remained at large as of Monday afternoon.

Between the early hours of Saturday morning and the graduation party shooting on Sunday evening, there were 19 reported shootings with 28 victims, and five deaths spread all over town.

Nearly 90 percent of the homicides in Philadelphia since January have been committed with guns, about 5 percent higher than in previous years. The total homicide rate has gone up 8 percent from 2017, reaching a body count of 146.

Last month, Police Commissioner Richard Ross called that statistic “alarming.” He said he planned to put more cops on the street this summer.

Police have not released a motive, suspect, or arrest in any of the cases, and are imploring the public to help in these investigations.