Police: Wissinoming auto body shop owner shot, killed

PHILADELPHIA (FOX 29) - Police say the owner of an auto body shop was killed in a hail of gunfire. They say 56-year-old Mike Gleba was an innocent bystander.

"Sad," said one woman shedding tears over the loss of Mike Gleba who lost his life in a barrage of gunfire. He was just making a living supporting his family.

"If you needed something done they would come down and help you. They were good to everyone in the community and nobody could take that from them," said the woman who lives in the neighborhood.

Gleba owned Northeast Speedometer Service, which is an auto body shop at Benner and Edmund Street. He was working under the hood of a white Nissan Murano when several stray bullets hit him.

"It's unfortunate that a gentleman and his family spent many years in this neighborhood now has lost his life to senseless shootings and other individuals dealing drugs in this city. It's just horrifying," said Philadelphia Police Captain John Walker.

Captain Walker says a group of men were sitting on the steps of a house on the 4700 block of Benner Street when another group came out of an alleyway at Hellerman and Benner. Police say the group on the steps fired about 15 shots from a 45 caliber handgun. Gleba was hit several times.

"He falls to the ground. Employees of the business come out try to help him but frantically they couldn't do anything," said Captain Walker.

Paul Britton rushed to the neighborhood in shock after hearing what happened.

"Mike looked out for my family when I lost my father. My mom didn't have money to get her truck fixed. Mike looked out for us, took care of my mom and fixed our truck. Didn't expect nothing back. He was a great guy," said Britton who has since moved away and is sickened by the violence.

"It's sick that somebody like him had to lose a life over something so petty," he said. Police say there have been several incidents in that neighborhood recently. Last week, a man was shot. They increased patrols. Much of what happened today was captured on surveillance.

Police believe a man in one of the groups was also shot in the arm but hadn't shown up at a hospital.