Opening day at a West Philadelphia rec center pool ended with two children, a teenager and a facility worker wounded following a shooting Wednesday afternoon.
The shooting occurred outside the Christy Rec Center just after 4 p.m. when dozens of people were in the pool nearby, Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel told reporters during a press conference.
A teen boy whose age has not yet been confirmed was reportedly in very critical condition after being shot several times in the back, police said. Two younger children, ages 10 and 11, suffered graze wounds and are expected to recover.
A rec center employee also sustained graze wounds to his hand and buttocks and was in stable condition at the hospital, according to police.
Cops earlier responded to a fight that was broken up by rec center staff, Bethel told reporters. Participants in that skirmish allegedly returned at around 4 p.m. and opened fire on their targets outside the pool.
What prompted the fight and who fired those shots wasn’t clear as of Wednesday evening. An investigation into the violence is ongoing.
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