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Woman fatally shot by another woman at a North Philly apartment building

The victim, described as in her 50s or 60s, was trying to enter a key code for an apartment door when she was shot through the door, police said.

File photo.
File photo.Read moreHouston Harwood / USA TODAY NETW

A woman was killed when she tried to enter a neighbor’s apartment and was shot through the door by a woman inside the unit early Tuesday in North Philadelphia, police said.

Around 3:10 a.m., the woman, described only as in her 50s or 60s, was trying to enter a key code to an apartment in a complex on the 1500 block of West Girard Avenue when she was shot at least one time in the chest, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

The shot was fired through a door that did not have a peep hole or other way to see outside, Small said.

Police had been called to the scene initially for a report of a break-in, Small said. An officer arriving to the apartment complex heard at least one gunshot and found the victim unresponsive in the hallway.

Police transported the victim to Temple University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 3:30 a.m., Small said.

The alleged shooter, described as 56 years old, remained at the scene and was taken for questioning by homicide detectives, Small said.

“She did cooperate with police,” Small said, adding that a gun inside her apartment was taken as evidence.

A security guard told police he saw the woman trying to enter a code for the door and questioned her, then proceeded with his duties elsewhere, Small said.

It was not immediately known if the two women knew each other or had any type of prior interaction, Small said.

The victim’s unit was across the hallway from where she was shot, Small said.