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Two killed and eight wounded as gunman opens fire at girl's 18th birthday party in Philadelphia

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:55 PM on 10th April 2011

Two people were killed and eight wounded after a gunman opened fire in a hall filled with teenagers.

The victims were celebrating a girl's18th birthday when the shooting began, reported the local station WPVI in Philadelphia.

Police said all the victims were aged between 15 and 20. It was reported that one of the dead was a 19-year-old man.

According to police, the shots rang out at a temple in the city of Chester where the party was being held. It is understood that the hall had been rented for the evening.

Officers were called to the Minaret Temple No. 174 just before 11:30 pm Friday and said they found 'numerous victims'.

A suspect was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning and two firearms were recovered from the scene.

Police said nine people were taken to Crozer Chester Medical Center, where one person died soon after. Another victim died yesterday afternoon.

One of the wounded was listed in critical condition and three were said to be stable. Four other victims were allowed home after treatment.

A man answering the phone at the hall on Saturday said he had come in to see the condition of the building but declined to comment further.

Neighbours had planned a candlelight vigil at the scene last night.

Mayor Wendell Butler told how he arrived after the shooting to find 13-year-olds who had been at the party after seeing it on Facebook

He asked one of the youngsters: 'Does your mother know where you are?' It's like 11 o'clock at night. He tells me she doesn't care. And I said, 'Oh, my goodness. I guess that's part of the problem.'

Last summer, the mayor declared a state of emergency in Chester and ordered a 9pm curfew in problem areas after a rash of shootings left four people dead in eight days.

The city, about 15 miles south of Philadelphia, had two dozen homicides last year, four short of the record number in 1993.

Police said the illegal drug trade was the source of much of the violence, while others have blamed easy access to firearms.