Wednesday night, Aug. 3, was one of the deadliest nights this year in what has been a horrific one for gun violence in Philadelphia. Across multiple neighborhoods in the city, six total people were shot in five separate shootings, leaving two injured and four dead as the city has now further surpassed the homicide rate set at the same time last year. 

As of midnight, Aug. 3, according to the Philadelphia Police Department Crime Map and Statistics, the number of homicides in 2022 was at 325. At the same time in 2021, it was at 322, and it ended as the deadliest year for gun violence in Philadelphia history, with 562 homicides. With the rate in 2022 only rapidly increasing, it could very well mean that the city could follow up and break its own record in two consecutive years. 

Philadelphia Police have already said they can not keep up with the large number of homicides, every day seems to get worse. The Summer is also usually when the city sees its highest homicide rates. 

In one of the shootings from last night, one man was shot in the head by his passenger and was found in his car at Torresdale Avenue and Gillingham Street in the Frankford area before 10 p.m. according to police.

"It appears that this shooting occurred while the vehicle was in motion. The front seat passenger shooting the driver of the car while the vehicle was still in motion and then it crashed,” said Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace about the situation. 

A gun was recovered at the scene and witnesses say the passenger stumbled out of the car and ran away. 

Another shooting took place at a playground near Kensington around 9:30 p.m., as two men were shot with one injured and the other later dying from his injuries. 

"We're very lucky on a Summer night in August, that although we have two victims, one who died, both adults, there were no children struck by gunfire,” said Philadelphia Chief Inspector Scott Small.

In the late afternoon, around 6 p.m., a man was shot in the head multiple times and once in the back in Germantown according to the police. He later died from his injuries after being transported to Temple University Hospital. 

Also around 6 p.m., in North Philadelphia on the 2800 block of North Taney Street, a man was approached by another man who pulled out a gun. He responded by pulling out his own gun and shot his would-be assailant before the other could, killing him. He was shot in the chest multiple times. Authorities are not sure what led to the initial confrontation, but the shooter had a permit to carry and cooperated with the police afterwards. 

Philly Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw pointed to the hot weather as of late for the recent uptick in shootings. She said that the police are working hard to solve the issue, but also said it cannot be done by just themselves. 

"There has to be a continued acknowledgement that it’s far more than just any one entity in this comprehensive violent crime fighting strategy," she said. 

In response to the deadly night, Mayor Jim Kenney released a statement about the continuous flow of guns into the city. 

"People are concerned," Kenney said. "We’re working at our best to get the guns off the street, to intercede in potential violent situations, to make sure that we have the investment when it comes to violence prevention."