PHILADELPHIA — A joyful celebration of the end of Ramadan devolved into panic Wednesday in Philadelphia after rival groups exchanged gunfire, leaving at least three people injured and hundreds of parents and children to flee in search of safety.
The annual Eid al-Fitr event, held outside a large mosque in the city’s Parkside neighborhood, came to a sudden end when some 30 shots rang out at about 2:30 p.m., Philadelphia police said.
Five people were later taken into custody, including a 15-year-old boy who sustained leg and shoulder wounds when he was shot by police, authorities said. Police said he was carrying a gun.
Additionally, one man was shot in the stomach and a juvenile victim had a wound to the hand, police said.
Police investigated the aftermath Wednesday afternoon at Clara Muhammad Square, which was strewn with debris including blankets, strollers, coolers and a number of shoes left behind by celebrants.
Zania Weatherford had just gone to her car for a moment when she heard the gunfire and saw people running across the street. She called relatives at the event to make sure they were safe.
“Last year, someone set off firecrackers and scared everyone,” Weatherford said. “This is just a celebration of life for God to forgive us for our sins. There’s one month that God chains the devil down, so whoever did this can’t even blame the devil.”
The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear. The suspects include four males and a female, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said at a news conference.
Eid al-Fitr is an Islamic holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the month when devout Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset. Ramadan is a time of increased worship, charity, and good deeds. Eid al-Fitr means the feast, or festival, of breaking the fast.