Bloody Tuesday in Philly: 5 shot dead, 1 fatally stabbed

A 55-year-old man attacked three strangers with a knife Tuesday in Southwest Philadelphia, police said, killing one and leaving two severely wounded.

In other parts of the city, five men were shot to death Tuesday night, police said.

The Southwest Philadelphia attacks appeared to be "random acts," said Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives.

The first victim, a 31-year-old man, had been paying his bill at a Cricket Wireless store at 5547 Baltimore Ave. when the assailant walked in about 1:30 p.m. and, unprovoked, stabbed him in the chest, said Walker.

The second victim, a 51-year-old man, was sitting in his car outside the store when the assailant climbed into the passenger side. The man was stabbed in both hands as he struggled with the assailant, Walker said.

Across Baltimore Avenue, a 30-year-old man was talking to his fiancee and watching his car being repaired when he was fatally stabbed in the chest, Walker said. Police took a suspect into custody and recovered a knife, but no charges had been filed hours later.

The 51-year-old victim drove himself and the 31-year-old man to Mercy Philadelphia Hospital, Walker said. The 51-year-old was treated and released, but the younger man was transferred to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was in stable condition, Walker said. None of the victims was identified.

Among the fatal shootings Tuesday, two of them happened in North Philadelphia.

In the 2400 block of North Hollywood Street, a 31-year-old male was shot once in the chest around 8:30 p.m. and pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital 20 minutes later, police said.

A 21-year-old man died of a gunshot wound to the neck in the 2100 block of North Van Pelt Street, police said. A second victim was shot in the left side of the forehead and was in critical condition at Temple University Hospital, police said. The shootings occurred about 6:30 p.m., police said.

In West Philadelphia, a 22-year-old man was shot in the 1400 block of North Vodges Street about 8:20 p.m. and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

In East Falls, a man was shot to death around 9:30 p.m. in the 3100 block of Abbottsford Avenue, police said. No further details were available.

In South Philadelphia, a man in his mid-20s was shot and killed around 8 p.m. at 23rd and Morris Streets.

hbrubaker@phillynews.com

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