3-year-old boy shot in South Philadelphia rowhouse

A 3-year-old boy was shot and wounded Monday afternoon in South Philadelphia when a gunman fired a bullet into a Grays Ferry rowhouse.

The child, shot once in an upper thigh, was in stable condition at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia late Monday, police said.

Detectives are investigating whether the toddler's father may have been the intended target, a law enforcement source said.

A 43-year-old man was also shot in the right leg in the attack, police said. He is in stable condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

The violence began just after 11:30 a.m., when a gunman walked onto the 1300 block of Newkirk Street, a narrow side street that runs between Wharton and Reed Streets.

The gunman approached the 43-year-old man on the sidewalk, asking him the whereabouts of a man who lives on the street, the source said.

When the man said he didn't know, the gunman opened fire, the source said.

Then, the gunman ran up to the door of the 3-year-old's home, fired inside, and ran away.

While detectives believe the child's father may have been the target, they are still trying to determine a motive for the shooting, the source said.

The man with the gun was described as about 5-foot-10, and wearing a dark hoodie and jeans.

Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call South Detectives at 215-686-3013.