5 people arrested after shooting in West Philadelphia

Five people have been arrested and multiple firearms have been recovered after a Wednesday afternoon shooting in West Philadelphia, police say.

Five people have been arrested and multiple firearms have been recovered after a Wednesday afternoon shooting in West Philadelphia, police say.

The shooting unfolded at roughly 2:30 p.m. at Clara Muhammad Square where about 1,000 people had gathered for a celebration, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said during a news conference. One woman told a local station there were families, children and elderly people in attendance for Eid al-Fitr, an Islamic religious celebration marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

At some point, a “large volume of gunfire” began, Bethel said. Police believe two groups in the park started exchanging gunfire. Officers stopped three males and one female suspect who were running, and recovered four weapons, Bethel said.

Another officer engaged with a 15-year-old male suspect, firing and striking the teen in his shoulder and leg, and recovered a weapon from him, the commissioner said. That suspect was then transferred to the hospital.

One person was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his stomach, Bethel said. Another juvenile went to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his hands, Bethel said.

Najah Bey, who was attending the nearby event for Eid al-Fitr said she was enjoying time with her family when she heard shots. Everyone around her began running, screaming and getting on the ground and as she ran, she frantically searched for her son, then her mom, brothers and grandmother.

“We were just running and running and one of my family members got shot in the stomach,” Bey told CNN affiliate WPVI, later sharing it was her cousin who was wounded.