A 64-year-old delivery man was shot multiple times and subsequently had his vehicle stolen in a violent carjacking incident in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s Port Richmond section, authorities and local media reported.
According to police, the incident occurred on Sunday evening, in the 2800 block of Salmon Street around 6 pm, on November 6, 2023, as the man returned to his vehicle after delivering take-out food to a home. The victim, whose name has not been disclosed, was approached by at least two assailants who opened fire, striking him in the chest, back, and torso. The shooters then fled the scene in the man’s red Jeep.
Corporal Jasmine Reilly of the Philadelphia Police Department said that the victim was transported to Temple University Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. The authorities recovered a firearm and three spent shell casings from the scene.
No arrests have been made at this time, and the investigation is ongoing.
Neighbors and witnesses reported hearing between five and six gunshots. The owner of the restaurant for which the victim made deliveries said that the man, who is retired, had recently started delivering food to help with the business.
Local business owners and residents are shocked by the brutality of the attack and concerned for their safety, with the assailants still at large.
This shooting adds to the series of violent incidents that have plagued Philadelphia, a city that, despite experiencing reductions in homicides and non-fatal shootings year-over-year, continues to grapple with gun violence.
The police are treating the shooting as a carjacking and attempted robbery. They are exploring the possibilities that the delivery man was specifically targeted for his vehicle and was followed, or if the shooting was a random act of violence.
