Three people were killed and nine others wounded in a mass shooting that occurred just before 1 a.m. on July 7, 2025, in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood on the 1500 block of South Etting Street.
The victims who died were identified as Zahir Wylie, 23, of the 1100 block of Marilyn Road; Jason Reese, 19, of the 5400 block of Media Street; and Azir Harris, 24, of the 2400 block of College Avenue. Among the injured were three minors: a 15-year-old girl and two 17-year-old boys. A 19-year-old man who sustained two gunshot wounds to the head remained in critical condition.
Ring camera footage captured multiple people opening fire during the incident, with the video now part of the police investigation. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel indicated that investigators believe around 40 people were present when the shooting occurred, with over 100 gunshots fired from at least four different caliber weapons.
Nearly 140 pieces of ballistic evidence were recovered from the scene. Police determined that a switch device, which makes a gun automatic, was likely involved in the shooting. The gunfire struck nearby homes, though no residents inside the houses were injured.
Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were responding to a separate incident nearby when they heard the gunfire and rushed to the scene. They found 12 people with gunshot wounds and one additional person injured from falling while running away from the shooting.
The shooting victims, ranging in age from 15 to 24, were transported to multiple hospitals. Nine victims went to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, three to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and one walked into the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania’s Pavilion Campus. At least eight victims were transported by police.
Police had already responded to the same block late Saturday night into early Sunday morning, making several arrests during that earlier incident. They continued monitoring the area throughout the weekend due to reports of large gatherings and loud music.
One person with a weapon was taken into custody, though their exact involvement in the shooting remained unclear. Police released images of several suspects seen in the Ring video footage and were searching for three suspects in connection with the mass shooting.
Bethel described the shooters as firing indiscriminately, even with children nearby. Bethel called the incident “coward stuff” and characterized it as individuals shooting randomly into houses and cars.
The shooting particularly affected the family of Azir Harris, who had been paralyzed in a wheelchair since 2018 when he was shot while walking with friends to buy dinner in South Philadelphia. His father, Troy Harris, expressed his grief, stating that Harris was not just his son but also his friend.
Tyrique Glasgow, Executive Director of the Young Chances Foundation, a youth center in Grays Ferry working to end violence, indicated he knew many of the victims. He noted that they were working to get jobs and attending vocational school when their lives were cut short by gun violence.
The incident occurred during a violent Fourth of July weekend in Philadelphia. Commissioner Bethel reported that 46 people were shot over the weekend, including Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning’s mass shooting. Eight people were wounded in another mass shooting early Saturday morning at a South Philadelphia bar on the 1100 block of South 11th Street.
Additional shootings occurred during the weekend, including a triple shooting early Sunday morning among a large crowd on the 2200 block of Edgley Street in North Philadelphia, and a quadruple shooting early Monday morning near 62nd and Vine streets in West Philadelphia.
Despite the weekend violence, Bethel noted that the city remained down more than 12 percent in homicides and 10 percent in shootings year-over-year. He reported that the department’s Homicide Unit maintained a 95 percent clearance rate, while the Shooting Investigation Group had cleared 36 percent of its cases.
A community meeting was held Thursday night at which neighbors voiced concerns and demanded more resources following the mass shooting. Residents expressed fears about potential future violence and called for essential resources, including mental and emotional health support for the community.
The Philadelphia Police Department offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in connection with the case. Anyone with information was urged to contact the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or submit an anonymous tip by calling 215-686-TIPS.
