Two gunmen opened fire as the teenager approached a rideshare vehicle in Overbrook, while the driver escaped the shooting without injury.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A 19-year-old man was shot and killed early Wednesday as he was preparing to enter a rideshare vehicle in Philadelphia’s Overbrook neighborhood, where police said two gunmen approached and opened fire at close range.
Philadelphia police responded to the area of Wynnewood Road and Lansdowne Avenue at about 2:41 a.m. Sept. 23. Chief Inspector Scott Small said the victim had been visiting friends and was outside preparing to leave when the shooting began. The teenager was struck multiple times and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 3:25 a.m. Police had not publicly released his identity.
The shooting left investigators with dozens of spent shell casings and several damaged vehicles. Police initially reported recovering more than 40 casings at the scene, while another local report later said more than 60 shots were fired. Authorities were continuing to examine the ballistic evidence as part of the homicide investigation.
Police said two unidentified gunmen approached as the 19-year-old was about to enter the rideshare vehicle and began firing. Investigators believe the teenager was the intended target, but authorities had not announced a motive or explained whether the victim knew the attackers. No description of the gunmen had been publicly released.
The rideshare driver escaped as bullets struck the vehicle. Police said the victim had not made it inside before the shooting began. The driver continued away from the scene and later encountered police near 52nd Street and Lancaster Avenue. Despite the gunfire and damage to the vehicle, the driver was not injured and was cooperating with investigators.
Detectives also recovered a backpack near the victim containing a firearm. Reports differed on how the weapon was described, with authorities telling some news organizations it was a semi-automatic rifle and another report describing it as a semi-automatic handgun. Police had not established publicly who owned or possessed the backpack, and investigators had not said the recovered weapon was used in the shooting.
Gunfire also struck unattended vehicles on the residential block. Neighbors told local news organizations that the burst of shots was unusually loud, and some residents took cover inside their homes. The amount of physical evidence left behind, including shell casings and bullet-damaged vehicles, was being examined as detectives worked to reconstruct the attack.
Surveillance video could play a significant role in identifying the two gunmen. Small said investigators located private cameras along the block and were reviewing available footage for images that could show the attackers or their movements before and after the shooting.
No arrests had been announced as of Wednesday, and police had not released a possible motive. The victim’s identity also remained undisclosed as investigators continued reviewing surveillance footage and physical evidence from the scene.
Author note: Last updated September 24, 2026.