Lee esta historia en español aquí.
Police were responding after two officers were shot near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway as thousands of people celebrated a 4th of July concert and fireworks show, multiple sources told NBC10.
One officers sustained a graze wound to the head and the other a gunshot wound to the right shoulder, sources told NBC10’s Rosemary Connors. Both were in stable condition at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, the sources said.
A photo supplied to NBC10 by John McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5 union, showed what he said was a bullet lodged in an officer’s cap. Inside the cap was a memorial card for a Philadelphia police chaplain who recently died.
The gunfire broke out around 9:47 p.m. near the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the final day of the Wawa Welcome America festival as throngs of people watched a fireworks show following a concert headlined by Jason Derulo on the parkway, police said.
The shots came from the area near 25th and Spring Garden streets, behind where the concert took place, Connors’ sources said. Various people could be seen running from the area. Police instructed people in surrounding buildings to shelter in place.
“I didn’t hear the shots, but the cops were like, ‘Run, run, run,’” one woman told NBC10.
NBC10 had various reporters in the area covering the festival.
NBC10 reporter Leah Uko reported a “stampede” of people running toward the concert stage. Uko was interviewing a group of teens when an NBC10 cameraman captured the moments people, including various visibly distressed children, began screaming and scattering.
NBC10’s Leah Uko reports on what she experienced as people ran from what multiple sources say was the shooting of two police officers near July 4th festivities in Philadelphia.
She said she helped three people onto the stage and they took cover behind a DJ podium. A man speaking with the director of the show then instructed them to stay there until it was safe enough to “rush back” to their vehicles, Uko said.
NBC10’s Tim Furlong said he saw a “wave of people” running from near Eakins Oval down the parkway. Several children were crying during what were moments of confusion from the crowd and police officers at the scene, Furlong said.
Fellow reporter Karen Hua reported laying in the dirt inside a tent with other people.
“We made a fort around us with catering equipment. Everyone is crying or screaming,” Hua tweeted. “It has just been a night of absolute horror and terror,” Hua said later.
The Philadelphia Police Department instructed those looking to reunite with loved ones to meet at 1901 Vine St. in front of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Anyone else was asked to stay away.
Around 11 p.m., police officers could be seen scouring an area from near 19th Street and the parkway up to Eakins Oval.
Various people sought shelter at the Parke Town Apartments, which are just off the parkway. They asked residents to “stay calm” during police activity “on-site, throughout the community.” All towers of the complex were on lockdown “until we have further information available,” the company said in an email.
Residents were later allowed back in. Police officers at the complex told an NBC10 producer that their search there ended up having nothing to do with the shooting.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
This is a developing story and will be updated.