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Philadelphia mayor says he’s worried about other big events after 2 officers shot during a July Fourth event

Philadelphia mayor says he's worried about other big events after 2 officers shot during a July Fourth event

A 36-year-old Philadelphia Highway Patrol officer suffered a graze wound to the forehead, and a 44-year-old Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder, according to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.

Both officers were providing security at a July Fourth concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway when shots were fired around 9:47 p.m., just before the fireworks went off, Outlaw said.

Neither officer heard the gunshots before they were hit, she added.

“We don’t know if this was ricochet from celebratory gunfire, we don’t know if this was intentional,” Outlaw said. “We’re just extremely grateful this wasn’t worse than it was.”

The officers were taken to Jefferson University Hospital, treated and discharged, Outlaw said.

In a Tuesday news release, Philadelphia police identified the officer shot as Sergio Diggs, a 13-year veteran of the department. In a separate post, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office identified the injured deputy as John Foster.

Foster is a 17-year veteran of the sheriff’s office and has been a member of the department’s bomb squad for three years, according to the Facebook post.

“Many of our deputies provide security and specialized aid to neighboring areas for large events,” the sheriff’s office added. “While we are thankful that Deputy Foster and the injured Philadelphia officer are ok, we are troubled by the violence that turned what should have been a celebration into a near tragedy.”

Police union offering reward for information

The Philadelphia police union announced it was offering $20,000 for information leading to an arrest in connection with the shooting.

“We were inches away from planning a funeral for at least one brave, Philadelphia Highway Patrol officer as a bullet lodged in his cap,” said John McNesby, the president of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5, in a news release.

“There are too many guns on our streets and far too many individuals acting recklessly with these deadly weapons,” McNesby added.

Social media video of the incident, apparently filmed from a nearby building, shows large crowds of people running along Benjamin Franklin Parkway, as lights from police cars and emergency vehicles flash in the street.

There have been no arrests so far, and no suspects in custody. Police said they are following several leads, and are asking members of the public to come forward if they have any information regarding the shooting or video capturing what happened.

Mayor: ‘I’m concerned every single day’

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said the day had been “laid back, chilled,” with good weather and an enjoyable concert.

“But we live in America, and we have the Second Amendment, and we have the Supreme Court of the United States telling everybody they can carry a gun wherever they want,” he said. “This is what we have to live with.”

Kenney, who was wearing a soccer jersey during the news conference, was asked about his concerns about the upcoming 2026 World Cup and other big events coming to Philadelphia.

“I’m concerned every single day,” he said. “There’s not an event or a day where I don’t lay on my back at night look at the ceiling and worry about stuff. So everything we have had in the city over the last seven years, I worry about. I don’t enjoy the Fourth of July. I didn’t enjoy the Democratic National Convention. I didn’t enjoy the NFL Draft.”

“I’m waiting for something bad to happen all the time. I’ll be happy when I’m not mayor and I can enjoy some stuff.”

Kenney’s second term as mayor is up in 2024.

“If I had the ability to take care of guns, I would. But the legislature won’t let us, the US Congress won’t let us,” he added. “This is a gun country.”

In a statement on Tuesday, the mayor said he wanted to clarify his earlier comments, adding that he is “incredibly grateful” to be mayor.

“I made Philadelphians feel like I don’t care, and that cannot be further from the truth. I’ve said it many times before, I lay awake at night thinking about the challenges facing the residents in our city and what more we can be doing or doing differently to solve them. Being mayor comes with a lot of restless nights, so I am looking forward to a good night’s sleep,” the mayor said in his statement Tuesday.

“I love this city, and as Mayor there’s nothing more I want than to help solve this problem and keep our residents and visitors safe,” Kenney added.

CNN’s Alisha Ebrahimji and Amanda Jackson contributed to this report.

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Several street closures planned for Welcome America’s July 4th weekend events

Several street closures planned for Welcome America's July 4th weekend events

After a pandemic pause, the Wawa Welcome America Festival is back in Philadelphia to help residents and visitors alike celebrate the 4th of July holiday.

Nearly two-weeks of events will culminate on Independence Day with the Party on the Parkway and free concert headlined by Jason Derulo and Ava Max.

Of course, no 4th of July celebration would be complete without a massive fireworks display. Wawa’s Welcome America Firework Spectacular will start on the Parkway around 9:30 with an accompanying soundtrack by DJ Ghost.

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“Everyone is welcome we want everyone to come down we just want folks to be prepared,” President and CEO of Welcome America Michael DelBene said.

There are several road and street closures planned for the weekend and Independence Day.

Sunday

  • North side of Market Street between 5th and 6th Streets from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • 5th Street between Chestnut Street and Market Street from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
  • 6th Street between Chestnut Street and Walnut Street from 8 a.m. to noon

In preparation for the July 4th Concert and Party on the Parkway, the following road closure will be in effect beginning 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 3 until approximately 4 a.m. on Tuesday, July 5:

  • Logan Circle
  • Winter Street between 21st Street and Ben Franklin Parkway

Monday

  • 2nd Street between Race Street and Chestnut Street from 6 a.m.
  • Chestnut/Market Street Viaduct between Chestnut and Front Streets to 2nd and Market Streets from 6 a.m.
  • Market Street between 3rd Street to Front Street from 6 a.m.
  • Front Street between Dock Street to Market Street from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Chestnut Street between 2nd Street and Front Street from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The following streets will be closed from 10:30 a.m. until conclusion of parade: 

  • 3rd Street between Race Street and Chestnut Street
  • 4th Street between Race Street and Chestnut Street
  • 5th Street between Race Street and Chestnut Street
  • 6th Street between Race Street and Chestnut Street
  • 7th Street between Race Street and Chestnut Street
  • 8th Street between Race Street and Chestnut Street
  • 9th Street between Race Street and Chestnut Street
  • 10th Street between Race Street and Chestnut Street
  • 11th Street between Race Street and Chestnut Street
  • 12th Street between Race Street and Chestnut Street
  • JFK Blvd. between Market Street and 15th Street
  • N. Broad Street between JFK Blvd. and Vine Street
  • S. Penn Square from S. Broad Street to E. Market Street
  • E. Market from Front Street to City Hall
  • 12th Street between Vine Street and Market Street
  • 13th Street between Vine Street and Market Street
  • Arch Street between 12th Street and Broad Street

For more information about the closures, including bus detours and other public transit routes, click here.

Philadelphia, the birthplace of America, is expecting an influx of visitors during the holiday weekend. The Philadelphia Police Department said it will have increased patrols to accommodate for the larger-than-normal crowds.

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Philadelphia Police Stepping Up Patrols With Big Events In City This Weekend Following South Street Mass Shooting

Philadelphia Police Stepping Up Patrols With Big Events In City This Weekend Following South Street Mass Shooting

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Safety is top of mind right now in the city. Philadelphia is hosting a number of big events this weekend including the Flower Show and the Odunde Festival.

Philadelphia police will step up patrols this weekend, according to the mayor. In addition to that, some businesses along South Street say they’re also making changes.

READ MORE: 14-Year-Old Boy Killed, Teen Girl Injured In Summerdale Drive-By Shooting, Philly Police Say

“We pulled back our hours,” Eyechic owner Eraz Adoni said.

Stores along South Street like Eyechic, Fossettes Boutique and others, are now closing one to two hours early after last week’s shooting.

“Just to be safe. Because you don’t know what’s gonna happen on South Street. Anything can happen at any time,” Adoni said.

Many neighbors are also fed up with crowds getting out of control and ATVs speeding in the streets.

“Something has to start happening. So we all see it as neighbors and businesses so they know we’re not gonna put up with this lawlessness,” said John Smyth with Friends of the South Street Police Mini-Station.

Business owners in the area echoed that sentiment at the South Street Headhouse District’s monthly meeting Wednesday.

“We’re seeing unprecedented behavior,” a man said.

So we brought those concerns right to the mayor.

“I don’t think there’s lawlessness in the city. We made 6,000 arrests last year and taken 6,000 guns off the street. That’s not lawlessness,” Mayor Jim Kenney said.

Many people who live around South Street say seeing the extra officers makes them feel more at ease.

Officers were posted on every corner Friday night to help curb crime.

“It’s nice to see them. I definitely feel safer,” Jayne Bird said.

Eyewitness News spotted police patrolling by car, by bike and on foot. These extra sets of eyes were added after last weekend’s mass shooting.

Investigators say 12 people were injured and three people were killed, including bystanders Alexis Quinn and Kris Minners.

People Eyewitness News spoke with say the extra security offers a sense of relief after the barrage of bullets flew through the streets.

READ MORE: Man Disguised In Garda Uniform Carjacks Armored Truck In Wilmington, Police Say

“We think that the collective presence of the police protection is making a big difference in the chaos that was here,” one man said.

“I feel really like safe. Feel much better,” Jade Fashion Boutique owner Ivy Cheng said.

Cheng says customers have been calling her after the shooting.

“‘Am I safe to coming to down to South Steeet? Am I safe to come to your store to shop?’” Cheng said.

Even young ones noticed the increased presence.

“We don’t feel like scared because the police are good,” one kid said.

Kenney says while officers will be more visible, the city is having a hard time hiring them.

“The problem that we have, frankly, as every other city has in the country is attracting people to want to be police officers. We are down hundreds of officers down for many reasons,” Kenney said.

Meantime, there are a lot of big events happening in the city this weekend like the Philadelphia Flower Show and the 47th annual Odunde Festival at 23rd and South Streets.

“The neighborhood has missed it,” a man said.

It’ll be the first time the festival is back since 2019. Big crowds are expected.

But safety is top of mind for many festival-goers, especially after last week’s shooting.

“Just being in large crowds anymore it’s always in the back of your head now,” Grace Tavern owner James said.

Festival organizers say they’re taking precautions.

“The Philadelphia Police Department does a wonderful job and we have an additional security firm that we hired also,” Odunde Festival CEO Oshunbumi Fernandez-West said.

Philadelphia police are still investigating the shooting that happened last week on South Street. Officers made four arrests so far.

MORE NEWS: Prayers Answered! Phillies Fan Meets Bryson Stott After Viral Video

CBS3’s Matt Petrillo and Kerri Corrado contributed to this report.

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Philly Launching Free COVID Test Program for Special Events

Philly Launching Free COVID Test Program for Special Events

NBC10 is one of dozens of news organizations producing BROKE in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city’s push toward economic justice. Follow us at @BrokeInPhilly.

Philadelphia is looking to stop super spreader events before they start by giving out COVID-19 tests in bulk to anyone planning a special event.

The city is now offering free rapid test kits to organizers of all sorts of events: from proms and graduations to funerals and weddings. They’ll get two at-home tests for each guest if they’re approved: one test to take before attending the event and the other to take afterward.

Organizers are urged to apply as soon as possible because it may take up to two weeks to review applications and distribute tests, the health department noted. If applications are approved, organizers will need to distribute the tests in the manner described in their application.

The department said it has at least 20,000 tests available for the program and may allocate more depending on how successful the program is.

Test distribution will be prioritized for events that are either in areas of Philadelphia that have suffered disproportionately from COVID, have a high number of people who are at higher risk for severe infection, or present a high risk for COVID-19 transmission, the department said.

Event organizers are asked to apply online. You can find the application here.

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11 essential St. Patrick’s Day events in Philadelphia

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the annual parade on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

St. Patrick’s Day arrives on Thursday, March 17 and brings a wide range of ways to celebrate, and it’s not just drinking green beer on messy bar craws — you can learn how to make Irish-themed cocktails, attend one of the popular parades happening in the days leading up to the holiday, and more. (And don’t forget to grab some Irish Potatoes while you still can.)

Whether you’re looking for a raucous celebration or simply want to quietly observe the holiday with your family, here’s how to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the Philadelphia region.

(Out of town / in-person / kid-friendly) Enjoy three days of festive programming centered on Irish pride at Shadybrook Farm. Head out for music, Irish dance performances, drinks, food and much more. ($8-$10, March 11-13, 931 Stony Hill Rd., Yardley, shadybrookfarm.com)

(Community / in-person / kid-friendly) Show your Irish pride and cheer on the marchers at Bucks County’s annual parade, which starts at Conwell-Egan Catholic High School and concludes at Levittown American baseball fields. There will be music, performances, and lots of festive cheer. Here’s everything you need to know about the parade route, road closures and more. (Free, March 12, 10:30 a.m., Parade starts at 611 Wistar Rd., Fairless Hills, allevents.in)

(Drinks / in-person) Kick off your day at Howl at the Moon and make your way to 10 bars on this Center City bar crawl. You’ll get drink specials and cover-free access to every bar on the crawl. ($20, March 12 and 17, 4 p.m., various locations, feverup.com)

(Drinks / in-person) The Shamrock Crawl gives you access to 30 different bars where you can enjoy drink specials, food, and music. Your wristband gets you in cover-free at locations through Center City and into Manayunk. If you upgrade to VIP, you also get five drink tickets. ($8-$20, March 12 and 17, noon, various locations, shamrockcrawl.com)

(Drinks / in-person) Head to Xfinity Live for a night of games, food, and drink specials. Sip green beer while you enjoy a silent disco party, karaoke, and more. Admission is free. (Pay as you go, March 12, 9 p.m., 1100 Pattison Ave., xfinitylive.com)

(Community / in-person) Peddler’s Village is going green for St. Patrick’s Day. Local restaurants will serve themed food and drinks like shamrock punch, Irish soda bread and more. The festivities start on March 13 and run until the 20th, but on the final weekend (March 19-20), bring the family for a village-wide leprechaun hunt. (March. 13-20, Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, peddlersvillage.com)

(Community / in-person / seasonal / free) Philly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the largest in the Delaware Valley and it’s slated to make its way down JFK Blvd. and the Parkway on the Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day. Join in the show of Irish pride and watch along the Ben Franklin Parkway as bands, dancers, and other performers make their way along the route. (Free, March 13, 11 a.m., Parade starts at 16th and JFK Blvd., philadelphiastpatsparade.com)

(Drinks / in-person) Whip up some delicious cocktails all centered around an Irish drinking staple — Guinness. Your ticket includes a seat at the workshop bar, a hands-on lesson where you’ll create two themed cocktails, a swag bag, and 10% off anything within Art in the Age. ($45, March. 17, 7 p.m., 116 N. 3rd St., shop.artintheage.com)

(Drinks / in-person) Philadelphia’s oldest bar is coming through with an all-day St. Paddy’s Day party. The bar opens early at 10 a.m. and a $5 cover gets you in. Don’t miss out on green beer, food specials and more. ($5, March 17, 1310 Drury St., mcgillins.com)

(Music / in-person) For more than a decade, Celtic Women have been wowing American audiences with their fusion of traditional and contemporary Irish music. With strong vocals and Celtic violin, this troupe of Celtic singers brings centuries of cultural traditions to life on stage. ($34-$216, March 23, 8 p.m., 858 N. Broad St., themetphilly.com)

(Community / virtual and in-person / kid-friendly) Grab your green running gear and prepare to run. Don’t worry, this race is low pressure. As long as you cross the finish, you’re a winner. You can also sign up for a virtual run, and run your 5K wherever you are. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Conshohocken Fire Company #2 and their volunteers. ($40, March. 26, 819 Fayette St., Conshohocken, runsignup.com)

» READ MORE: Live your best life in Philly: Read our most useful stories here

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Wild turn of events leads to ‘gutsy’ Philadelphia Union win in Montreal

Wild turn of events leads to ‘gutsy’ Philadelphia Union win in Montreal

In the 50th minute, all looked lost for the Philadelphia Union.

Just as they had early on in their previous match against Minnesota United, the Union looked disjointed to start out. They looked like a team still ironing out the kinks, shaking off the rust, and whatever other cliche that applies. Already down 1-0 after an unlucky goal off of a deflection in the 32nd minute, Djordje Mihalovic looked to provide the dagger in the 50th.

Mihalovic waltzed right down the middle of the Union defense after a turnover to put the hosts up 2-0. Frustrated Union fans quickly looked for consolation in the loss, the team not looking likely to muster a comeback at the moment. The fanbase’s collective braintrust came to a halt as VAR overruled the goal due to a prior foul. The match from here? Pure chaos.

“That goal that got called back that changed everything, because I think we’re going down to zero, that would suck the air out of us, I think it would have been a lot tougher to come back into the game,” Alejandro Bedoya said post-game. “But, you know, obviously, that gave us a bit of more belief, and gave us a little bit more motivation to get going, because we thought we started that second half a little bit… not so good.”

Just two minutes later Bedoya tied the match back up. Sloppy play in the Montreal box led to a turnover, and the Union captain did not miss his chance. Just a minute later after nearly drawing a foul, Daniel Gazdag scored his first of the season to put the Union up. Just mere minutes after looking to be out of the contest, the Union now had the lead on the road!

“A very gutsy Philadelphia Union type of win.” head coach Jim Curtin said after the match. “Credit to the guys for sticking to things. I thought there was probably a fifteen-minute period there in the second half where we really looked like us, which made me happy… Obviously, we got two goals during that period.”

It took them a while, and it wasn’t for a full match, but there was that window in the second half where the Union looked like the squad advertised during the offseason… one of the top teams in the league. They pressed well and showed some good chemistry. Even after falling to ten men after Julian Carranza was sent off following a second yellow card in the 71st minute, the Union were able to stick together and see out the road victory.

Earlier in the day, fans were trying to find positives in a road loss early in the season, positive points in a loss that wasn’t the end of the world. Despite not playing their best, the Union managed to earn some key points away early in the season. This is the team’s first road win since their 2-1 triumph in Cincinnati last October.

Yes, there are still kinks to be ironed out. Of course, the team needs to come together a bit better. The Union definitely needs to put together a more consistent performance over 90 minutes than they have so far this season. But, two games in Philadelphia are still unbeaten and trending in the right direction.