18-year-old killed in ambush at Southwest Philly playground, police say
Anthony Jerome Sharpe Jr. was shot multiple times shortly before 9 p.m. at the Russell DeRitis Playground, police said.
A young man was shot to death in an ambush at a Southwest Philadelphia playground Monday night, police said, and authorities continue to search for the gunman.
Shortly before 9 p.m., police responded to a 911 call about a shooting at the Russell DeRitis Playground in the 5600 block of Grays Avenue, said Chief Inspector Scott Small. When officers arrived, they found the 18-year-old lying unresponsive on the ground next to a slide and jungle gym, Small said.
The victim, identified on Tuesday as Anthony Jerome Sharpe Jr. of Smyrna, Del., was shot multiple times and had wounds to his face, head, back, and torso, Small said. Police rushed him to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:05 p.m.
Police said Sharpe was sitting in the park alone when someone approached him from behind and fired repeatedly before fleeing. Nine spent shell casings were found at the scene.
The shooting was captured on a police surveillance camera nearby, and officers are studying the footage for clues to the assailant’s identity. Police were also reviewing surveillance video from the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation department, including footage from security cameras installed above the slide, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore.
On Tuesday morning, traces of the slaying could still be seen at the empty playground bordered by train tracks. Steps away from the entrance, tattered red police tape fluttered in the morning wind. Inside, there was a trail of blood leading from the slide to a nearby sidewalk.
Hours after the shooting, the neighborhood, lined with one-story homes, was quiet. One neighbor, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons, said that the playground was not a trouble spot, and that she often saw children playing basketball or in the playground, but never fighting.