East Falls gunfire leaves one dead and two injured

A man was killed and two more were injured during a pair of shootings that unfolded inside the Abbbotsford Homes in East Falls, according to police.

Shortly before 1 p.m., officers responded to the crest of Authority Terrace. There they found the victim lying on the sidewalk bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene about a half-hour later, police said.

On Thursday, police identified Terrence Gordon, 33, of North Philadelphia, as the deceased.

A violent day

Ten hours later and one block away, police responded to the 3100 block of Berkeley Drive inside the public housing complex.

At the Wednesday night scene, Chief Inspector Scott Small said that at approximatley 11:30 p.m., two males were seated inside a white Buick parked on Berkeley when gunfire erupted.

Small indicated that between 15 and 19 .40 caliber rounds were fired into the car, striking the 29-year-old male seated in the passenger seat in the head. The 32-year-old driver wasn’t shot, but sustained minor injuries resulting from broken glass. 

Small noted that with the exception of the windshield, all of the Buick’s windows were shot out. Several bullet holes were visible in the car’s passenger-side doors. Blood was present inside and outside of the vehicle.

‘ Isolated incidents’ for now

Attempting to escape his assailant, the driver smashed into a parked Chevrolet Monte Carlo, damaging both cars.

Reversing his vehicle, the driver exited Abbotsford’s sloped campus and drove to Uncle Willie’s gas station, located opposite the homes at the intersection of Fox Street and Abbotsford Avenue.

It was at Uncle Willie’s that 39th Police District officers located the Buick and transported both driver and passenger to Temple University Hospital. Small said the passenger was listed in critical condition.

Northwest Detectives arrived on-scene shortly after midnight.

Small said the motives for both crimes were unknown as of last night and that detectives are working to determine if the two crimes are related.

In the meantime, he concluded, “We’re going to treat these as isolated incidents.”

Residents react

While residents were mum shortly after Wednesday afternoon’s homicide, some spoke more freely following the second round of shootings.

Patricia Davis Saxon said she’s been at Abbotsford Homes since 1990, “and I’ve never seen it like this before.”

Sherry Little, a 30-year resident of Abbotsford, knew the afternoon’s victim well – Gordon was her grandson’s father.

“He used to live here,” said Little, noting that Gorodon was born and raised at Abbotsford.

“He was shot from behind,” she added. “His whole face was gone.”

Donna Foster, a 29-year Abbotsford resident, was seated on her porch at the time of the shootings. Given the angle, she could not see the assailant, but reported seeing the weapons flash and smoke.

“There were so many shots, it was unbelievable,” she said.

Despite worries about becoming a victim herself, Foster wasn’t surpised by day’s violence.

“I’m getting used to gunshots around here, it happens so often,” she said.