Two die in Northeast shootings

Gunfire claimed the lives of two Northeast Philadelphia men last weekend, one of whom took a bullet to the head while sitting in a car at a stoplight.

Police were called to Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard at 8:23 p.m. on Saturday, where they found Damon Rush, 25, of the 7000 block of Walker St. in Tacony, in the passenger seat of a gold Pontiac Bonneville. He had a gunshot wound of the head, said Officer Christine O'Brien, a police department spokeswoman.

The driver of the car, whom police did not name, reported that he and Rush were traveling northbound on Roosevelt Boulevard and had stopped at a traffic light at Tyson Ave. when an unknown gunman approached their car and fired. The driver then drove to Cottman Avenue and called 911.

Police have released no information about the shooter, whether he was on foot or in another vehicle or a possible motive.

Paramedics pronounced Rush dead at the scene at 8:30 p.m.

About four hours later, police were called to 5500 Hill Creek Drive in the Hill Creek Apartments public housing development in Crescentville in response to a report of a person with a gun.

They found Kelly Nelson, 28, a resident of that block, lying in the street with gunshot wounds of the torso and head. Paramedics pronounced him dead at 1 p.m.

Police have not released information about any suspects or a motive, other than the shooting likely stemmed from an argument, O'Brien said.