5 gunmen rob players, spectators at W. Phila. rec center game

The basketball game had just ended when five young men armed with guns and cloaked in masks stormed inside the recreation center in West Philadelphia and ordered everyone to the ground in a robbery.

The incident happened about 9:35 p.m. Monday at Christy Recreation Center, 56th and Christian Streets. The game was part of a league for men 30 and older.

"They grabbed some gym bags and cellphones and took off," Leo Dignam, deputy commissioner of parks and recreation, said Tuesday.

About 20 people had been at the game, police said, along with a dozen or so players, referees, and rec-center staff.

Police said six players, ages 30 to 45, were robbed of their cellphones, wallets, money, and other belongings. No shots were fired or injuries reported. Police were investigating.

Dignam said the recreation center had been closed since the robbery but might reopen Thursday. "We just want to make sure everybody is safe," he said. "Hopefully this was an isolated incident and we can move on from here."