Woman fatally shot while sitting in front of her Kensington home

A 47-year-old Kensington woman sitting on her front steps was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting late Wednesday afternoon, police said.

The shooting happened just after 5 p.m. on the tiny 1800 block of East Tusculum Street, where earlier this month two men were shot dead. The block also is known for the house used as the exterior location of Rocky Balboa’s apartment in the original 1976 movie.

A passenger in a car heading west on Tusculum fired at least three shots, striking the woman at least once in the head, said Police Chief Inspector Scott Small. Her home is across the street and a few doors down from the Rocky house.

Police transported the woman to Temple University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 5:25. Her name was not released.

The shooting was recorded by private surveillance video. The vehicle, which had its back window covered with plastic surrounded by black tape, was later stopped by police at American Street and Indiana Avenue in Fairhill. Three occupants were taken into custody and a gun was recovered, Small said.

On Sept. 3, two men, ages 18 and 23, were outside on the block just before 5:20 a.m. when they were both fatally shot.