Police found about 26 shell casings after the 18-year-old was discovered critically wounded inside a Marcella Street store.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — An 18-year-old died Monday night after he was found shot inside a corner store in Philadelphia’s Summerdale section, where investigators said about 26 shots were fired and gunfire also struck nearby occupied homes.
Police responded shortly before 9 p.m. to the area of the 800 block of Marcella Street. Officers found the teenager unresponsive inside the store and suffering from at least one gunshot wound. He was taken to Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, where authorities said he was pronounced dead shortly before 9 p.m. His name had not been released as of Tuesday morning.
Chief Inspector Scott Small said investigators found evidence of gunfire both inside and outside the business. At least one spent shell casing was recovered inside the store near where the victim was found, while roughly 25 others were located outside along the sidewalk and street. The pattern left investigators examining a scene that extended beyond the store itself.
Police were working to determine how the shooting unfolded and what caused it. NBC10 reported that investigators believe the victim may have been chased from the street into the store before he was shot. Authorities had not announced a motive, and no arrests had been made.
Employees at the store described the teenager as a regular customer who came to the business to play games of skill. Police had not publicly identified him or released additional information about his background. Investigators also had not announced whether they were searching for one shooter or multiple people in connection with the gunfire.
The shooting sent bullets into two nearby occupied homes, police said. Gunfire passed through second-floor front bedroom windows at the properties, but no one inside was injured. Authorities said the occupants were shaken by what happened. Investigators were examining the damaged homes as part of the wider crime scene.
Police also found a stolen gray Nissan sedan near the shooting scene after it had crashed into at least one parked vehicle. The Nissan’s engine was still running, and its driver-side doors were open when officers located it. Small said the condition of the vehicle suggested that someone may have left it quickly, although police had not publicly established who had been inside it or exactly how it was connected to the fatal shooting.
The vehicle did not appear to have been struck by gunfire, according to police accounts from the scene. Investigators treated it as part of the crime scene while examining whether it had been used before or after the shooting. No information had been released about when or where the Nissan was reported stolen.
Police had not announced any arrests or identified a motive as of Tuesday morning. The investigation remained active as detectives reviewed physical evidence and worked to determine the sequence of events surrounding the shooting.
Author note: Last updated September 22, 2026.