The incidents happened less than a day apart, but investigators have not determined whether they were connected.
PHILADELPHIA — Police are investigating two episodes of gunfire at the same Lawncrest apartment complex within one weekend, including a late Sunday shooting that killed a man and wounded four other people.
The fatal shooting happened shortly before midnight during what investigators described as a party or large gathering at the Hill Creek apartment complex. Officers heard the gunfire while stationed nearby because of an earlier disturbance at the property, police said.
Officers found an 18-year-old woman and a teenage boy suffering from gunshot wounds. A wounded man found during the response was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at about 12:14 a.m. Monday. Police had not released his identity.
A 16-year-old boy and a 45-year-old man were discovered in another part of the complex after police received a second report of injured people. One had been shot in a leg and the other in an arm. Authorities did not immediately release the conditions of the four surviving victims.
Investigators recovered 17 spent shell casings after the fatal shooting. Police were reviewing surveillance video to determine how the violence began, how many people fired weapons and whether anyone involved had been targeted.
The shooting followed an unrelated police response at the same complex early Sunday. Officers were called to the 500 block of East Hill Creek Drive at about 2:45 a.m. while Philadelphia Housing Authority police were investigating a reported stolen vehicle.
During that response, police said, an unidentified person climbed onto a marked police vehicle and damaged it as a large crowd gathered. Officers began dispersing the group before a person fired several shots and fled.
Two unoccupied vehicles were struck by bullets in the earlier incident, but no shooting injuries were reported. Police described the person who fired as having a light complexion, standing about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and wearing a surgical mask. Three men, ages 22, 23 and 28, were cited for disorderly conduct, authorities said.
Police had not identified a suspect in either shooting. Higginson said investigators did not yet know whether the earlier gunfire and the fatal shooting were connected. The presence of officers near the property Sunday night resulted from the previous incident, allowing them to hear the later shots and respond quickly.
Detectives continued examining video, physical evidence and the movements of people attending the gathering. No arrests had been announced, and the motive behind the fatal shooting remained unknown Monday.
Author note: Last updated July 13, 2026.