Four students were injured in a drive-by shooting near a Philadelphia high school Wednesday, shortly after the students left early for Thanksgiving, authorities said.
The students were standing outside a hair salon at 60th and Oxford streets when a silver Hyundai SUV pulled up and began shooting at the group shortly after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Philadelphia police’s first deputy commissioner said. , John Stanford, in a news item. conference.
Police officers in the area to oversee the school’s early dismissal for the holidays responded to the scene when they heard gunshots, Stanford said.
Four students, two 15-year-old girls and two 16-year-old boys, were injured and hospitalized in stable condition Wednesday, police said.
Stanford said it was lucky no one was killed in the incident and no one inside the busy beauty salon was injured.
Asked if the attack was random, he said it was not yet clear if any of the individuals in the group were attacked.
Overbrook High School was closed at 11:47 a.m. due to the shooting and was lifted at 1:02 p.m., police said.
No arrests have been made and no weapons were recovered, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.
“We are devastated by the way that senseless gun violence continues to plague our city. Its impact extends to all students, staff and school communities,” the School District of Philadelphia said in a statement to NBC Philadelphia. “The ongoing violence erases everyone’s sense of safety, especially during peak school hours such as arrival and dismissal periods.”
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney denounced the shooting, writing on Twitter: “I am heartbroken by another act of violence against students. I am grateful that all victims are stable and no one has died.”
“It is inconceivable that someone would endanger young people by firing a gun near a school,” he said. tweeted. “Our administration will work with @PHLschools to support the Overbrook High School community and with law enforcement to ensure perpetrators are found and held accountable.”