Police investigate homeless man's death, overnight shootings
Philadelphia police on Thursday were investigating three overnight shootings and the death of a homeless man who appeared to have been beaten.
Philadelphia police on Thursday were investigating three overnight shootings and the death of a homeless man who appeared to have been beaten.
Police said that about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, a 45-year-old homeless man went to an acquaintance's house on the 3200 block of Memphis Street in Port Richmond. The male resident allowed the homeless man to stay for the night and returned to sleep.
Then, about 10 a.m. Wednesday, another person staying in the house found the homeless man in the second-floor front bedroom, lying face up on the floor unresponsive, police said.
That's when it was discovered the homeless man had injuries to his body, including bruises to his face and upper torso from an apparent beating, police said. The resident of the house called 911.
Medics who arrived at the house shortly afterward pronounced the man dead.
Police said the preliminary investigation indicated the victim was beaten before he went to the house. The Medical Examiner's Office is investigating the cause of death.
Police were also investigating the following overnight shootings:
At about 1 a.m. Thursday, a 34-year-old man was shot in the head and critically wounded on the 5600 block of Angora Terrace in Southwest Philadelphia.
Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives said that shortly before the victim was shot, he was outside on the block arguing with his girlfriend. After the girlfriend went inside her home, she heard gunshots, ran outside and saw her boyfriend on the sidewalk.
Walker said police believe the shooter fired multiple shots from a vehicle that came onto the block. The man was shot once in the head and was still in critical condition late Thursday afternoon at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Walker said.
Also early Thursday, police said, a 35-year-old man was shot in his right thigh about 1:45 a.m. while waiting in the doorway of a West Philadelphia Chinese takeout restaurant.
Moments before, police said, the victim had been walking south on Belmont Avenue toward Lancaster and was arguing with his girlfriend on his cellphone when three men walked by him. One of them "said something to him about being tough," according to a police report.
The victim then walked to the restaurant, at 4510 Lancaster Ave., and was waiting in the doorway for his food when three men came onto the street and one fired at him, hitting him once in his right thigh.
Walker said the three men could have been the same three men the victim encountered earlier. The victim told police he didn't know any of the men.
Police were also investigating a shooting late Wednesday at a West Philadelphia bar on 52nd Street near Catharine.
Walker said police believe someone from a white car fired into the crowd of people outside the bar. A 36-year-old man who was on his way into the bar was shot in his right forearm, and a 41-year-old woman inside the bar was shot in her left leg, Walker said.
The woman walked to Mercy Philadelphia Hospital, while the man was taken by police to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Walker said.
Both were in stable condition late Thursday afternoon, Walker said.
Police found three 9mm bullet casings at the scene.
Investigators were still searching for the shooters in all three cases.
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@julieshawphilly