Chester police probing 3 separate shootings
CHESTER » Two men police believe are cousins were injured in separate shootings Thursday.
Police Chief James Nolan IV said Friday investigations are continuing into those two incidents, as well as a third shooting – all three of which occurred within eight hours Thursday and resulted in injuries.
While no information has surfaced linking any of the three incidents, Nolan said no scenario has been ruled out.
“It’s too early to say, and not everyone is being cooperative,” Nolan said.
The first incident occurred in the area of Seventh and Lloyd streets, shortly before 12:25 p.m. Thursday, resulting in what police said were non-lifethreatening injuries to two city men. A 19-year-old man was shot in the leg, while a 34-year-old man was shot in the stomach. Both victims were taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center.
According to Nolan, more than 20 shell casings were recovered from the scene. While all the recovered casings were 9 mm, ballistics tests are pending to determine if they were fired from more than one gun.
“The men were shot by a person or persons who were on foot,” he said. It was not immediately known if the two victims were together, or if they happened to be in the same area when the shots rang out.
Shortly before 6 p.m., Nolan said, a gunshot victim showed up at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia. Subsequently, the scene of the shooting was determined to have occurred inside Muhammad’s Market in the 1100 block of West Ninth Street.
According to Nolan, the 24-year-old victim was reportedly confronted by other males in the store. When the 24-year-old went to pull out his firearm, a struggle ensued with his assailants and he was shot in the right middle finger with his own firearm. All those involved fled the store.
Investigators subsequently found two bench warrants out of Delaware County for the 24-year-old shooting victims, and he was expected to be taken into custody.
It was about 8:15 p.m. when police were dispatched to the Chester Apartments in the 1200 block of West Ninth Street for a shooting.
According to Nolan, a 44-year-old man who was a passenger in a Nissan Maxima was shot in the abdomen and right forearm. “They were exiting the apartment complex and heard gunshots and drove right to the hospital,” Nolan said, noting the victim’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
A 31-year-old man who was driving the vehicle was not injured.
Nolan said four bullets holes were found in the Nissan, one in the front driver’s window and three in the front passenger door.
The shooting victims from the market and the apartment complex are believed to be cousins, according to police. The driver of the Nissan is also believed to be related to his injured passenger.
Anyone with any information about the shootings is asked to call city police Capt. James P. Chubb at 610-447-8433 or 911.