Three people were killed and nine others wounded in a mass shooting that occurred just before 1 a.m. on July 7, 2025, in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood. The shooting took place on the 1500 block of South Etting Street, where approximately 40 people had gathered when gunfire erupted.
The deceased victims were identified as Zahir Wylie, 23, of the 1100 block of Marilyn Road; Jason Reese, 19, of the 5400 block of Media Street; and Azir Harris, 24, of the 2400 block of College Avenue. Among the injured were three minors: a 15-year-old girl and two 17-year-old boys. A 19-year-old male who sustained two gunshot wounds to the head remains in critical condition.
Ring camera footage captured multiple individuals pulling out weapons and opening fire during the incident. The surveillance video has become part of the police investigation into what authorities describe as indiscriminate shooting that struck nearby houses and vehicles. Police recovered nearly 140 pieces of ballistic evidence from the scene, including dozens of shell casings from at least four different caliber weapons.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel condemned the shooting during a press conference, stating that “This is coward stuff. You see the size of this block – individuals just shooting randomly into houses, into cars.” He indicated that the shooters were firing indiscriminately even with children present in the area.
Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were responding to a separate nearby call when they heard the gunfire and rushed to the scene. Police had already responded to the same block late Saturday night into early Sunday, making several arrests during that earlier incident. They continued monitoring the area throughout the weekend after receiving reports of large gatherings and loud music.
Nine victims were transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, while three others were taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. An additional victim walked into the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania’s Pavilion Campus. At least eight of the victims were transported by police officers. One person was injured while fleeing the scene but was not shot.
One person with a weapon was taken into custody, though their exact involvement in the shooting remains unclear. Police released images of several suspects seen in the Ring video footage and are actively searching for three suspects in connection with the mass shooting. Investigators believe a switch device, which makes a gun automatic, was involved in the incident.
Troy Harris, father of victim Azir Harris, spoke about his son’s death, revealing that Azir had been shot in 2018 while walking with friends to buy dinner in South Philadelphia. That previous shooting left him paralyzed and wheelchair-bound. Harris described his son as having a big heart and wanting more than just life in a wheelchair. The father expressed his grief over receiving the devastating call about his son’s death.
Tyrique Glasgow, Executive Director of the Young Chances Foundation, a youth center in Grays Ferry that works to end violence, indicated that he knew many of the victims. He described the shooting as past frustrating and painful, noting that the victims were working to get jobs and attending vocational school when their lives were cut short by gun violence.
The shooting occurred during what Bethel described as a violent Fourth of July weekend in Philadelphia. A total of 46 people were shot over the weekend, including Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning’s mass shooting. Eight people were wounded in another mass shooting early Saturday morning at a South Philadelphia bar on the 1100 block of South 11th Street.
Early Sunday morning, three people were injured in a triple shooting among a large crowd on the 2200 block of Edgley Street in North Philadelphia. Police also investigated a quadruple shooting that occurred early Monday morning near 62nd and Vine streets in West Philadelphia. The weekend’s violence resulted in six total homicides across the city.
Despite the weekend’s violence, Bethel noted that the city remains down more than 12 percent in homicides and 10 percent in shootings compared to the previous year. The department’s Homicide Unit maintains a 95 percent clearance rate, while the Shooting Investigation Group has cleared 36 percent of its cases. South Philadelphia had experienced the fewest shootings in 2025 compared to other parts of the city before the weekend’s incidents.
Community leaders held a town hall meeting on July 10 to address residents’ concerns following the mass shooting. Neighbors expressed fears about ongoing violence and demanded more resources and help for their community. The meeting took place just one block away from where the shooting occurred, with a police officer still stationed at the end of Etting Street.
A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Anyone with information about the shooting can contact the Philadelphia Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or submit an anonymous tip by calling 215-686-TIPS (8477).
s://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/mass-shooting-community-meeting-grays-ferry-south-philadelphia/4231477/
