4-year-old shot in Olney barbershop

A 4-year-old was wounded by gunfire following an altercation at a barbershop in the city’s Olney section — the latest of nearly 150 minors shot in Philadelphia this year.

The boy — whom police are not identifying because of his age — was with his father getting a haircut at a barbershop on the 5000 block of Rising Sun Avenue on Sunday afternoon. About 5:15 p.m., police say, they believe another patron got involved in an unrelated argument, pulled a gun, and opened fire inside the tiny salon.

Police say the boy was struck once in the right shoulder. Medics took the boy to nearby Einstein Medical Center, and he was then transferred to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and placed in stable condition.

No weapon was recovered and no arrests had been made. Police are now reviewing surveillance footage.

Captain John Walker, head of the Philadelphia Police Department’s nonfatal shooting unit, said police believe it was unlikely that the child was a target — and that the shooter had endangered others in the crowded barbershop.

“We had a bunch of kids in that barbershop getting haircuts and preparing for school,” he said. “Now, they have to deal with the trauma of this shooting.”

According to Walker, the boy’s father was nearby but had briefly left the barbershop after his son got a haircut to grab money from his car. After hearing gunshots, the father returned and discovered the shooting scene. He ran back to his vehicle in order to tail the medical unit to the hospital, but his vehicle struck another car while en route, Walker said.

Walker said the father explained his situation, and the motorist took him the rest of the way to the hospital.

“Sometimes, something positive comes out of a very difficult situation,” he said.

Walker urged the shooter to turn himself in, and members of the public to report any information regarding the shooting to 215-686-TIPS.