Fistfight between 2 boys ends when 45-year-old relative of one boy shoots the other kid — a 13-year-old — and runs away: Cops

During a fistfight between two boys in Philadelphia on Thursday evening, police said an adult family member of one of the boys emerged from a house, shot the other boy twice, and fled from the scene.

Police told WPVI-TV a 13-year-old boy was shot twice in the stomach around 6:40 p.m. at 57th Street and Kingsessing Avenue.

'The adult should haven been de-escalating the situation. Not taking it [to] another level.'

The shooting victim was taken to an area hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition, police added to the station.

The suspect "appears to be a 45-year-old male," police Inspector Michael Gormley told WPVI.

"As the fight transpired, the family member of the other participant in that fight came out of that house and shot our complainant, and that person has fled the scene," Gormley added to the station.

WPVI said police throughout the evening were in and out of a home on the corner where they say one of the boys and the adult shooting suspect lived. Police found three spent shell casings at the scene, WTXF-TV reported.

Gormley added to WPVI that police were "trying to locate" the 45-year-old accused shooter.

Police said the shooting suspect and his juvenile relative who took part in the fight both know the shooting victim, WTXF said.

Those with information about the case are asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS, WPVI said.

You can view a video report here about the incident.

How are people reacting?

Commenters under WPVI's Facebook post about the shooting were disturbed by it.

• "The adult should haven been de-escalating the situation. Not taking it [to] another level," one commenter wrote.
• "This world is f**ked up," another user declared.
• "Wow crazy," another commenter said.
• "Not taking sides, but the best thing to do is to just keep your hands off other people!" another user suggested. "Teach them that. Bad things can (and usually do) happen otherwise. Talk it out ... Be a peacemaker."

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