A shooting took place during the Eagles' Super Bowl 59 victory parade in Philadelphia on Friday, leaving two women injured along the Ben Franklin Parkway. Authorities are investigating the incident, though few details have emerged about the events that led to the shooting.
Shooting Incident during Eagles’ Super Bowl parade: What We Know So Far
According to CBS Philadelphia, the shooting occurred amid the festive atmosphere of the parade, though no one in the crowd reportedly heard the shots.
The victims, both women, were shot in their legs and made their way to a nearby medic tent located at 23rd and Spring Garden Streets for treatment. Both women are currently in stable condition at Penn Presbyterian Hospital.
Police search for suspect in Eagles jersey
The Philadelphia Police Department has launched an investigation and is actively searching for a male suspect. Reports from The Citizen app suggest that the suspect was wearing a gray Eagles jersey with green numbers on the back.
Police have indicated that three people were shot, though this claim has not been corroborated by other sources.
The reason of the argument revealed
According to Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore, the shooting appears to have stemmed from a confrontation. A 27-year-old woman and her boyfriend attempted to cut in line for a porta-potty, which led to an altercation.
The situation escalated when someone in the crowd punched the man, and during the ensuing skirmish, a gun was fired. The woman was shot in the calf, and a 20-year-old bystander was struck in the thigh.
The shooting took place outside the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade route
While the parade route ended at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where Eagles players and executives were giving speeches, the shooting occurred outside the official event area, as reported by Fox 29’s Steve Keeley. The chaotic scene unfolded in the crowd, away from the designated celebration space, as the festivities continued.
This marks the second consecutive Super Bowl parade to be marred by violence. Last year, during the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory celebration, one person was killed, and 23 others were injured in a shooting attributed to a dispute that turned violent.