5 teens shot at East Oak Lane playground

Five teenagers were struck after shots were fired Sunday night at a playground in East Oak Lane, authorities said.

The gunfire occurred just before 11:15 p.m. at Helen G. Sturgis Playground, on the 200 block of W. 65th Avenue, according to police. Investigators said all of the victims were hospitalized with nonlife-threatening injuries.

A 16-year-old girl was shot in her right thigh, and a 16-year-old boy sustained a wound to his left ankle, authorities said. Two 17-year-old boys were struck in their buttocks and right foot, respectively, and an 18-year-old man was shot in his right thigh, according to police.

No one was apprehended in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, and police have not released further details.

On Monday morning, bits of crime scene tape remained tied around play equipment, and officers were stationed at the site, which is near Eugenio Maria De Hostos Charter School, housed in the former Cardinal Dougherty building.

Since the beginning of the year, 118 children under the age of 18 have been shot in Philadelphia, compared to 135 at the same point in 2022, according to the City Controller’s gun violence dashboard. The total number of shooting victims of all ages is down about 23% compared to last year, police data indicates.