Teen arrested after 14-year-old shot in West Philadelphia

Officers arrested a 15-year-old boy after a younger teenager was shot Monday night in West Philadelphia, police said.

Gunfire erupted just after 9:15 p.m. in the area of 59th and Market streets, and responding officers found a 14-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his left thigh on nearby Redfield Street, according to police.

He was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to be treated for nonlife-threatening injuries, the PPD said.

Officers spotted two boys running from the scene and alerted police radio, investigators said. Police chased the pair and eventually apprehended them on the 100 block of S. 57th Street, according to authorities.

Police said one of the teenagers was carrying a 9mm handgun with no ammunition in the magazine. He is expected to be charged with aggravated assault, firearm violations and related crimes, the PPD said.

This year, 14 people under the age of 18 have been injured or killed in shootings through Monday, compared to 26 underage victims on this date last year and 21 in 2022, according to the City Controller’s gun violence dashboard. Police department data shows that the total number of shooting victims of any age is down 43% from 2023.