Basketball game in West Philly ends in tragedy

A pick-up basketball game at a West Philadelphia recreation center known for being a safe haven turned deadly this afternoon after a gunman and an accomplice stepped onto the court and opened fire - killing a 23-year-old man and wounding his 19-year-old brother, police said.

As investigators scanned the crime scene, Shepard Recreation Center, for clues to the shooting the basketball from the game lay still on the court, possibly in the spot where it was dropped after three shots were fired about 4:10 p.m., police said.

The older brother, who was playing when he was shot in the stomach, was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was pronounced dead at 4:43 p.m., police said.

His name was not immediately released. His younger sibling, who was watching the game, suffered a deep gash in his forehead from a bullet graze, police said. He also was taken to HUP and was reported in stable condition.

There were about 30 people on and around the court when the two assailants approached from the south end of the court, said Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives. After the shooting, they ran away.

It was unclear early in the investigation whether the dead man had been the target of the shooting. Detectives believe his brother was hit by a stray bullet.

"We're still trying to figure out what took place," said Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey, who came to personally observe the investigation. "We don't know the motive."

Ramsey said that the city-run facility at 57th Street and Haverford Avenue was not known for violence or any other serious problems.

"This is a recreation center noted for its programs and for its safety," Ramsey said.

Lillie Moore, 64, who worked at the recreation center for 29 years and is now on its advisory council, agreed with the police commissioner.

"It's always been a pretty safe playground," she said as she stood on the sidewalk peering through the iron fence at the crime scene. "You have one or two cases, but it's not the norm."

Behind the court on the side of the center's main building is a mural depicting different scenes and messages.

One is for a program Moore helped to support, "Keep The Kids Off The Streets," which provides activities and trips for neighborhood youth.

The mural image for the program shows a circle with a slash through it over a smoking handgun.