At least three shot when gunfire erupts at Philadelphia Eid event, police say

PHILADELPHIA — At least three people were shot and injured Wednesday during an annual Eid al-Fitr event in Philadelphia, police said.

The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m., when police at the scene heard about 30 gunshots, Philadelphia Police Chief Kevin Bethel said at a news conference.

Two groups of people began shooting at each other and people began fleeing the scene, he said.

Officers took four men and a woman into custody, and four guns were recovered at the scene, Bethel said. One suspect, a 15-year-old boy who police said had a gun, was shot by police and suffered injuries to his shoulder and leg. A man was also shot in the stomach and another child had a wound to his hand. No one was killed, police said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the shooting.

Zania Weatherford, who said she has been coming to the festival for about six years, said she was in the park enjoying the celebration and “just” went to her car when she heard 20 to 30 gunshots and people running about. saw me running across the festival grounds. street from the park. She said she stayed in her car, scared and unsure of what to do, then called family members who were also at the event to make sure they were safe.

“Last year someone set off fireworks and scared everyone,” Weatherford said. “This is simply a celebration of life in which God forgives us of our sins. There is a month when God chains the devil, so whoever did this can’t even blame the devil.”

Eid al-Fitr is an Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the month in which devout Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset every day. Ramadan is a time of increased worship, charity and good deeds. Eid al-Fitr means the feast, or festival, of breaking the fast.