Northwest Philly block party erupts in gunfire killing one and injuring three others

One man is dead and three others were wounded in a shooting that occurred this weekend in “Paradise” – a term for the neighborhood that straddles the East Falls-Allegheny West border.

At approximately 1:18 a.m. on Sunday, June 24, a shootout occurred following a block party on the 3200 block of North Spangler Street. Reports indicate that several individuals were involved in the shooting, and that over 40 rounds were fired.

Upon arrival, officers found people fleeing the scene and a male victim, Eric Johnson, 31, of the 2700 block of N. 29th Street, shot in the head and body.

Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:29 a.m., according to PPD spokeswoman Jillian Russel.

Three others were wounded: a 39-year-old male was shot in the ankle, a 19-year-old male was shot in the left hand, thigh and left buttock, and a 35-year-old male was shot in the lower left leg. All were taken to Albert Einstein Hospital. Their names were not released.

No arrests have been made and motives remain unknown.

Philly’s 181st  homicide 

The Spangler Street shooting is the 181st homicide in Philadelphia since January. As of Monday morning, 182 murders were on record. 

The murder is the first in June for the 39th Police District’s Police Service Area-1, which serves East Falls and sections of Germantown and North Philadelphia.

According to 39th District officials, one homicide was reported in PSA-1 on May 24, also in the Allegheny West neighborhood.

These homicides – along with several other recent shootings in the sector – amount to a period of high gun-related violence in the PSA-1 section of the 39th District that had not witnessed any shootings from Feb. 22 to May 24.

Asked if Sunday’s homicide was connected to a long-standing dispute between some residents of Allegheny West and the nearby Abbotsford Homes on Henry Avenue, Captain Verdell Johnson, commanding officer of the 39th Police District, indicated that they appear to be unrelated.