Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice | By Bob Kalinowski
WILKES-BARRE - Two 17-year-old boys were shot when gunfire erupted in a crowded playground under the South Street Bridge late Wednesday, police said.
The shooting at the Boulevard Townhomes subsidized housing complex rattled residents who say they heard multiple gunshots, prompting a large group of juveniles to scatter in a panic.
One of the victims suffered a gunshot wound to the back and was found in a pool of blood at the edge of the park, officials said. The boy, whose name was not released, remained in intensive care Thursday at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township. He is expected to survive, police said.
The other victim, who was shot in the leg, managed to flee to a nearby McDonald's, where he met a city cop working a private detail at the Northampton Street restaurant, a detective said. He was treated and released.
"I heard boom, boom. When I came to the door after I heard the shots, everybody was running, so I did the natural thing and ran back inside," said a woman whose apartment in the complex is close to the park.
The resident did not want to be identified.
"But there was a lot of people out there," she said. "It's the summertime and the kids want to play in the park."
Wilkes-Barre police did not release any theories about what led to the shooting or any description of a shooter, saying they were still gathering information from witnesses.
The shooting unfolded just before 11 p.m.
Signs around the playground say the park is open daily 9 a.m. until dusk, but officials noted it's difficult to keep people out after dark.
Boulevard Townhomes, which is operated by the Wilkes-Barre Housing Authority, does not have round-the-clock security and the park is not completely enclosed by fencing, an official with the authority said.
"We try to enforce it the best we can," said Jack Ziegler, executive director of the housing authority. "Police do it from time to time. They chase people away."
Several security cameras are stationed near the park, but it was not immediately known if they captured the shooting.
"We're providing whatever information we can to police and are cooperating fully," Ziegler said.
The shooting, a day before another Building Bridges series meeting to address youth violence, was quickly condemned by Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton.
"Acts of violence regardless of age are always disturbing, but we continue to work aggressively to reduce crime in the city to make this a better community for our youth to inherit," Leighton said in a statement.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call city police at 570-826-8106.
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