A child escaped a bullet injury but was hurt by shattered glass as gunfire erupted Wednesday afternoon on Broad Street.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — A stray bullet struck an SUV carrying a child during a North Philadelphia shooting Wednesday afternoon, shattering the vehicle’s rear window as two adults involved in the incident suffered critical gunshot wounds.
The shooting happened about 2:49 p.m. Sept. 9 on the 2900 block of North Broad Street. Philadelphia police said a 36-year-old woman was shot twice, while a 41-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the head that investigators believe was self-inflicted. Both were hospitalized in critical condition.
The gunfire extended beyond the vehicle where investigators say the confrontation began. Local television footage and reporting showed a black SUV damaged by a bullet, with its rear window shattered. The SUV’s driver said his son was hurt by flying glass and taken to a hospital. The child was not struck by a bullet and was expected to be OK.
The close call added another dimension to an incident that unfolded in broad daylight along one of North Philadelphia’s major streets. A child seat could be seen inside the damaged SUV after the shooting. No other injuries connected to the gunfire had been reported as of Thursday morning.
Witnesses said an argument had been taking place between two people inside a black Volvo before shots were fired. Authorities later described the episode as a domestic dispute, and The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that police identified the woman as the man’s wife. Investigators have not publicly said what prompted the argument.
Police said the woman suffered two gunshot wounds and was taken to Temple University Hospital in critical condition. The man was transported to the same hospital by SEPTA Transit Police after suffering what investigators described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A gun was recovered from the scene, according to police information reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
One witness interviewed by local television described seeing the couple arguing immediately before the shooting. Another witness emphasized that the violence occurred during the daytime on Broad Street. Authorities have not released the names of the two critically injured adults.
Investigators were working to establish the full sequence of events, including where each shot was fired and how the bullet that struck the SUV traveled from the initial scene. Police have not announced charges, and no publicly released information indicates that anyone inside the SUV was intentionally targeted.
The investigation remained open Thursday, with the woman and man last reported in critical condition. Police had not released additional information about the child’s injuries beyond reports that they were caused by shattered glass and were not believed to be life-threatening.
Author note: Last updated September 10, 2026.