Gunfire leaves 3 men critically wounded

Three men were critically wounded in separate shootings in Philadelphia overnight, according to police.

A driver was shot after two men tried to open his car's back doors, another was wounded during an argument in a bar and the third was hit while standing near a gas station.

The 44-year-old driver suspected he was being followed yesterday evening after leaving his home, where he'd had an argument with his wife over their being evicted, he told police.

According to his account, he was on Chelten Avenue, heading to stay at a friend's house, when he became concerned about an SUV behind him. So he pulled over and let the SUV pass.

After making several turns, he got to the 5800 block of Ardleigh Street in the city's East Germantown section about 8 p.m., when two males, at least one of whom had a gun, tried to open the car's back doors.

As he drove off, he heard gunshots, realized he'd been shot, then called 911.

After driving another half-mile to Chew Avenue and Haines Street, he felt light-headed, so he pulled over and flagged down an officer.

He was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where he was in critical but stable condition last night with two gunshot wounds to the groin.

Shell casings were found in the block where he said the men approached the car, police said.

The next critical shooting was at 1:33 a.m. in Danny D's bar in the 2500 block of South 67th Street in Southwest Philadelphia. A heavyset, bearded man, 25, from Sharon Hill was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with multiple gunshot wounds, police said.

An argument preceded the shooting, but no weapon was recovered and no arrest has been made.

Shortly after 2 a.m., about a mile away, a man was shot once in the neck near the BP gas station at Island and Woodland Avenues, police said.

He was also transported to HUP.

He didn't see who shot him, police said.