Fairmount Park shooting: 2 killed, 9 injured in mass shooting at Memorial Day gathering

PHILADELPHIA - Two people are dead and nine others, including six teenagers, are injured following a mass shooting at a Memorial Day gathering in Fairmount Park.

Amya Devlin, 23, and Mikhail Bowers, 21, were killed when gunfire erupted on Lemon Hill Drive just before 10:30 p.m., according to police.

Nine other victims between the ages of 15-27 were brought to a Philadelphia hospital for treatment of various gunshot wounds ranging in severity.

What we know:

Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the 800 block of Lemon Hill Drive around 10:30 p.m. for reports of a shooting.

Police reported that two people were killed and nine others were injured when nearly two dozen shots erupted at a Memorial Day gathering.

Amya Devlin, 23, and Mikhail Bowers, 21, were identified as the two people that were killed in the shooting. 

Six of the nine shooting victims were teenagers, according to police, including a 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl. 

All of those injured are in stable condition.

FOX 29's Steve Keeley spoke with a man who ran his Dodge Challenger off the road and down an embankment while fleeing the smattering of gunfire.

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel on Tuesday said police were busy Monday night clearing crowds of mainly juveniles that had gathered at various places.

Just after 8 p.m., officers were called to the Lemon Hill section of Fairmount Park where they spoke to a large group of adults who agreed to leave the park.

Bethel said clearing the park was going smoothly until juveniles started blending in with the compliant adults and gunfire eventually erupted around 10 p.m.

What we don't know:

Authorities did not report any arrests after the mass shooting. 

Investigators worked through the night to comb the massive crime scene for evidence.

What they're saying:

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said investigators are searching social media for posts that may have hinted about the shooting before it happened.

"We'll go through all the social media stuff that's come after and prior to see if there's anything I could have missed," Bethel told reporters.

Mayor Cherelle Parker rebuked the shooting, calling it a "heinous act of violence that was inhumane with no regard for human life."

She vowed to use all federal and local authorities to track down those responsible for the deadly gunfire.

"This was wartime ammunition that was just opened on Philadelphians and those who were here in our city," she continued.

Bethel continued, after chilling audio from the grisly scene was played, "That's the sound of war. So when you have an automatic weapon that you can empty a magazine, a 20-clip magazine in seconds, it is meant to kill, to create carnage and to hit as many people as possible. And in this case, you see, it was able to do that."

A 19-year-old woman returned to Fairmount Park Tuesday evening to retrieve her scooter. She says she lost it running from gunfire in Monday night’s mass shooting.

She explained, "My emotions been crazy. Like, I lost my friend last night. I’m just real shaken up and anxious."

She asked that her face not be shown out of fear, but she says she was friends with 21-year-old Mikhail Bowers. Before he was shot, she says he was having a great time and gave her a hug.

She continued, "He was such a good person. He was a person who wouldn’t hurt a fly. He took care of his family. He made his money. He did what he had to do. He was such a good person. We talked every day."

By the numbers:

Investigators believe at least one of the guns used in the Memorial Day shooting was illegally modified with a "switch" that makes it fire more rapidly. Investigators at the scene Monday night were able to find 21 shell casings and after further searches early Tuesday morning, they found about a dozen more.

Mayor Parker said the Philadelphia Police Department seized over 5,000 crime guns last year, and made over 2,000 arrests for firearms violations.

"How easy is it to get a gun, illegally or otherwise, in our city," Parker said.

Parker doubled down on her commitment to ensuring the safety of the city, but put some of the onus on Philadelphians to do their part to protect the city. 

"I would give people the same thing that saved my life: I would give them a connection, a connectedness, to something that's bigger than them as an individual."

She shared that the city has dedicated $25 million to anti-violence campaigns and has filled over 8,000 summer jobs for teens.

What you can do:

Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Philadelphia Police tipline, by calling 215-686-TIPS. You can submit tips anonymously.

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