Bike riders fire 40 shots, kill man in Kensington

Six people riding dirt bikes or motorcycles fired at least 41 shots and gunned down a 54-year-old man Monday night in Kensington, police said.

The shooting happened just before 8 p.m. at the corner of Huntingdon and Potter streets, near Temple University Hospital’s Episcopal Campus, according to authorities.

Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters at the scene that security cameras captured three motorized bikes – each with two riders – as they pulled up to the scene. Several of the suspects grabbed handguns and opened fire, he added.

The victim was shot in his neck, chest and leg, and he died a short time later at Temple University Hospital, police said. The PPD has not publicly identified him.

He was sitting along the sidewalk, and investigators found chairs and milk crates in the area, authorities said. Small said eight other people were sitting or standing near the victim at the time of the shooting, though no one else was injured.

“Those other individuals are very, very lucky,” he added.

The killing was not the only fatal shooting Monday night in Kensington.

A little over a mile away, a 27-year-old man was shot multiple times at around 11 p.m. inside a business on the 700 block of E. Ontario Street, authorities said. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said Monday that he will be deploying 75 officer recruits to the neighborhood next week after they graduate from the academy in an attempt to reduce gun violence and drug activity.

No arrests were reported in the immediate aftermath of either incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact the PPD’s Homicide Division at 215-686-3334 or call or text 215-686-TIPS (8477).

Police data indicates that 120 people have been murdered in the city this year, a 35% decrease compared to the same date in 2023.

Counseling, peer support, and victim advocacy services are available for victims, family members, and others affected by gun violence. Go to metrophiladelphia.com/gun-violence-resources for more information.