Police investigate possible connection in Tuesday Germantown shootings

A man and a little girl are recovering after they were both shot, about six hours apart and just a half a block away from each other in East Germantown. Now, police are looking for the gunmen and a possible connection.

First, authorities said the six-year-old girl was seriously injured when she was hit by a stray bullet while playing in front of her home in the 2000 block of Chelten Avenue.

That gunfire broke out at about 7pm Tuesday. Chief Inspector Scott Small said the girl was shot in the chest, under her left arm, and was found unresponsive on the sidewalk next to the steps of her home.

She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Small said investigators found 21 shell casings from two guns, so they think two people were firing shots -- together -- in the same direction, but only one was seen running away.

Then, at about 1:30am Wednesday, a 47-year-old man was shot just a half-block away around the 2100 block of Chelten Avenue.

FOX 29's Steve Keeley reports that victim didn't even call police. Instead, they found out from their shot spotter system of microphones that pick up gunfire.

Police went to the area and saw cars shot up, and then a trail of blood leading to the victim's house in the 6300 block of N. Norwood Street. He told them he'd been out walking when he heard gunfire, like he did at 7pm. Then, he realized he'd been hit in his arm and leg.

Detectives said they'll consider the separate-but-similar shootings either a major coincidence, or they were related and possibly retaliatory.

They're looking at crime camera surveillance video and hope to identify the people who fired the shots.

The six-year-old victim has broken ribs and a collapsed lung from the bullet hitting her in the chest. She and the man are both in stable condition.

No arrests have been made.