Two Dead, Nine Injured Including Teenagers in Philadelphia Memorial Day Mass Shooting at Fairmount Park

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel

A tragic Memorial Day celebration turned deadly in Philadelphia as a mass shooting at Fairmount Park late Monday night left two people dead and nine others injured, including three teenagers, according to authorities.

Gunfire erupted shortly before 10:30 p.m. in the park, which was crowded with hundreds of adults and teenagers enjoying the holiday festivities. The victims included a man and a woman who were pronounced dead at the scene. The injured, who are reportedly in stable condition, include teenagers aged 15, 16, and 17. Another person was struck by a car during the chaos that followed the gunfire.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel confirmed that officers would remain at the scene throughout the night and into Tuesday morning, searching for ballistic evidence and potential weapons. He described the crime scene as “very, very large” and said police were working under difficult conditions due to poor lighting in the park.

No arrests have been made, and it remains unclear whether the shooting was carried out by a single gunman or multiple shooters. No weapons have yet been recovered, but investigators are examining shell casings and social media videos that captured the sound of “rapid-fire” shots. Bethel indicated that the weapon used may have been equipped with a “switch,” allowing it to fire automatically — a disturbing detail that suggests a high-powered and illegally modified firearm.

The nine people injured were transported to several hospitals across the city, including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Temple University Hospital, and Lankenau Medical Center.

Witnesses at the scene described the panic and confusion. Two young women who had spent the day at a cookout in the park recalled the terrifying moment shots rang out. “Everybody scattered,” one said. “I seen two people drop,” the other added. Estimates suggest nearly a thousand people were gathered in the park for Memorial Day celebrations.

Commissioner Bethel said the city routinely monitors gatherings in Fairmount Park during holidays, but Monday night’s tragedy was unprecedented due to the sheer scale and composition of the crowd. “We try to manage the crowds as they unfold, but it is a challenge when individuals decide they are going to fire into a crowd. That is something we can’t anticipate,” he said. “It’s Memorial Day, a day when we honor those who gave their lives in war.”

This shooting is the second mass shooting in the U.S. over Memorial Day weekend. In South Carolina, at least 11 people were injured during a shooting that broke out following an altercation at a private event on a charter boat.

Philadelphia police are expected to provide further updates as their investigation continues.