On February 9^th, shortly before 7:00 pm, a teenage boy was non-fatally shot on the basketball court at Schuylkill River Park. According to witnesses, two men entered the park through the Schuylkill River Trail and began shooting toward the basketball court, striking the 17-year-old victim once in the left arm. The victim was transported by police to Jefferson University Hospital, where he remains in recovery. The victim and his family could not be reached for comment.

Philadelphia Police Department Officer Shawn Ritchie gave the following statement to Fitler Focus: “On 02/09/24 at 4XX S. Taney Street around 6:54 pm Police responded to a radio call for a person with a gun. Police met with a 17 year old black male who was suffering from a gunshot wound to his left arm. Police transported the male to Jefferson Hospital. The scene was held. Multiple arrest (sic) were made and multiple firearms were recovered. SIG is conducting the investigation.”

SIG, or Shooting Investigation Group, is a unit of the PPD that focuses exclusively on non-fatal shootings. It was created in 2022 by former police commissioner Danielle Outlaw, who resigned in 2023.

According to reporting by NBC10, three suspects have been arrested; the identities of these suspects have not been released. Witnesses stated that gunfire was returned from the basketball court; it is unknown whether the victim or another individual returned fire. Police recovered four firearms from the scene.

At the time of the shooting, a childrens’ Valentine’s Day event was being held at Markward Recreation Center on park grounds. Several children were in attendance at the event, as well as multiple employees of Markward. The board of directors of the non-profit Friends of Schuylkill River Park made a public statement thanking these employees for their actions to protect the attending children: “We want to praise the Markward Rec Center staff for handling the situation in such a calm and professional manner … the staff members acted quickly to secure the area. We are extremely grateful that our Rec Center staff kept the children in their care safe and emotionally secure during the event.”

The Markward staff members present could not be reached for comment.

Charlotte Merrick, a representative of Philadelphia’s Parks and Rec Department, made the following statement to Fitler Focus regarding the incident: “On the evening of February 9, three individuals shot at a young man playing basketball at the Markward Recreation Center courts. Police arrived and made arrests. Parks & Rec is grateful to PPD for handling the situation before it escalated. We also thank the Markward rec leader, who put the building into lockdown while a youth program was underway and kept participants safe. The rec leader informed parents about the situation during youth pick up.”

This February 9^th incident is the first recorded instance of a shooting occurring at Schuylkill River Park. The event left some locals feeling shaken, with one commenter noting: “Such a nice park … A lot of families, happy dogs, a big playground and picnic tables. That’s the last place I’d ever expect to hear about a shooting.” Officer Jesse O’Shea of PPD District 9 was unable to comment on whether any additional public safety features will be added to the park, as the investigation remains open. However, O’Shea said that he has “been in communication” with Friends of Schuylkill River Park to discuss public safety and crime prevention. Anybody with additional information regarding the shooting is encouraged to contact the Philadelphia Police Department, District 9.