A mass shooting in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood left three people dead and nine others wounded during the early morning hours of July 7, 2025. The incident occurred just before 1 a.m. on the 1500 block of South Etting Street when multiple gunmen opened fire on a crowd of approximately 40 people who had gathered in the area.
The victims who died were identified as Zahir Wylie, 23, of the 1100 block of Marilyn Road; Jason Reese, 19, of the 5400 block of Media Street; and Azir Harris, 24, of the 2400 block of College Avenue. Among the injured were three minors: a 15-year-old girl and two 17-year-old boys. A 19-year-old man who sustained two gunshot wounds to the head remains in critical condition at the hospital.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel indicated that officers were responding to a nearby call when they heard gunfire and rushed to the scene. Ring camera footage captured multiple individuals pulling out weapons and firing indiscriminately into the crowd, with bullets striking houses and vehicles in the residential area. Bethel characterized the shooting as “coward stuff” during a press conference.
Investigators recovered nearly 140 pieces of ballistic evidence from the scene, including dozens of shell casings. The weapons used included at least four different calibers, and authorities believe a switch device that converts firearms to automatic mode was involved in the shooting. Police released images of three suspects captured on surveillance video who remain at large.
The Philadelphia Police Department had previously responded to the same block late Saturday night into early Sunday morning, making several arrests during that incident. Officers continued monitoring the area throughout the weekend due to reports of large gatherings and loud music. One person with a weapon was taken into custody following Monday’s shooting, though their exact involvement remains unclear.
The shooting represented a particularly tragic loss for the Harris family. Troy Harris, father of victim Azir Harris, described his son as both his child and his friend. The younger Harris had been paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair since 2018, when he was shot while walking with friends to buy dinner in South Philadelphia. Despite his disability, Troy Harris noted that his son maintained a positive outlook and was working toward building a better life.
Tyrique Glasgow, Executive Director of the Young Chances Foundation, expressed frustration about the incident. Glasgow’s organization operates a youth center in Grays Ferry focused on ending violence and providing opportunities for young men. He indicated that he knew many of the victims personally and described them as individuals working to get jobs and attending vocational school.
The mass shooting forced the Young Chances Foundation to postpone its 13th annual summer camp activities that were scheduled to begin Monday morning. Glasgow noted that residents were left to clean up blood and debris from the shooting scene themselves due to ongoing city worker strikes affecting municipal services.
This incident occurred during what police described as a particularly violent Fourth of July weekend in Philadelphia. Commissioner Bethel reported that 46 people were shot across the city from Friday through Monday morning, including the Grays Ferry mass shooting. The weekend saw six homicides and numerous other shootings throughout the city.
Two days before the Grays Ferry shooting, eight people were wounded in another mass shooting at a South Philadelphia bar on the 1100 block of South 11th Street. Additional shootings occurred Sunday morning when three people were injured in North Philadelphia on the 2200 block of Edgley Street, and four people were shot Monday morning near 62nd and Vine streets in West Philadelphia.
Despite the violent weekend, police statistics show that Philadelphia’s homicide rate remains down more than 12 percent compared to the previous year, with shootings down 10 percent. The department’s Homicide Unit maintains a 95 percent clearance rate, while the Shooting Investigation Group has cleared 36 percent of its cases. South Philadelphia had experienced the fewest shootings in 2025 compared to other areas of the city before the weekend’s two mass shootings.
Community leaders held a town hall meeting on July 10 to address residents’ concerns following the shooting. Neighbors voiced fears about escalating violence and demanded additional resources and support for the area. The Philadelphia Police Department officials attended the meeting to listen to community concerns and offer services.
Authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to arrests and convictions in the case. Anyone with information about the shooting can contact the Philadelphia Police Department’s tip hotline at 215-686-TIPS or submit anonymous tips online. The investigation remains active as police continue searching for the three suspects captured on surveillance footage.
