Bicyclist Shot and Killed in South Philly Mugging This Morning

According to an article on Philly.com this morning, a bicyclist was shot and killed near 8th & Morris around 4:15 am this morning.

From the article:

Officers received a report of gunfire and arrived to find a man in the street suffering from a gunshot wound to his back. He was taken to Jefferson University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:36 a.m., said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

A friend of the victim told detectives they were on bicycles when a man on a bicycle approached them.  The man got off the bike and tried to take the victim's backpack, police said. The two struggled, and the suspect pulled out a handgun and fired three shots, one of which hit the victim.

The victim's friend was unharmed.

Small said the shooter left his bike at the scene and fled east on foot. He was last seen on the 700 block of Watkins Street

Our hearts and thoughts go out to the victim, and to all victims of gun violence in Philadelphia. While such bicycle-related crimes are thankfully rare, this is a reminder that bicycles are helpful in evading or escaping some dangerous situations, but gunfire is not one of them.

Be safe, everyone.

The intersection near where it happened:

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