Philadelphia police are investigating a Sunday night shooting at a Kensington homeless encampment that left one man wounded and killed Buddy, a 3-year-old dog. The attack on the 2400 block of Kensington Avenue under the EL train is drawing attention because Inspector D.F. Pace said investigators are considering whether people experiencing homelessness were targeted.
The man was shot in the leg around 11 p.m. Sunday and taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. No arrests had been made as of Monday, and police had not identified a motive.
D.F. Pace on motive
Pace said investigators were looking at the possibility that the suspects aimed at the encampment because of who lived there. He answered that question directly with one word: “It’s possible,” while making clear that no conclusion had been reached.
Two suspects dressed in black opened fire on the encampment, which sat on the 2400 block of Kensington Avenue under the EL train. The shooting hit one man and killed Buddy, who lived with the people in the vacant lot where the encampment was located.
Project HOME on Kensington
Carol Thomas of Project HOME said the people at the encampment were trying to build a place where they could rest and support one another. “They are just trying to find a place to sleep, to thrive and to be together,” she said, adding, “We all knew the dog. It was a community dog. We know the guys involved. We know the encampment.”
Monique Taylor, a Project HOME outreach worker, said the group depended on each other and treated Buddy as one of their own. “They just would be in their encampment together. They're like family,” she said. Taylor described Buddy as friendly and affectionate, saying, “He always wanted to be pet, always wanted to show a lot of love.”
Monday and Temple University Hospital
A neighbor who lives nearby rushed in after hearing gunfire and tried to stop the bleeding before putting a tourniquet on the injured man. Police said the investigation remained ongoing, and the unanswered motive keeps the case focused on whether the violence was random or directed at a vulnerable encampment community in Kensington.
