A man was shot and killed in the Cobbs Creek section of the city Tuesday.
The 30-year-old man was on the 600 block of Cobbs Creek Parkway at 3:57 p.m. when a gunman opened fire. The unidentified man was struck once in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:08 p.m.
No arrests have been made. Police continue to investigate.
Firefighters battled a brush fire in Millville, New Jersey.
The fire started at a trailer near Route 49 and Estell Manor Road Tuesday. The flames later spread to the forest area.
In all about 75 acres were burned and four mobile homes were damaged. No injuries were reported however.
A suspect has been arrested in connection to the murder of a transgender woman, according to NBC10 sources. Officials have not yet revealed the suspect's identity or the specific charges.
The arrest is in connection to the stabbing death of 25-year-old Maya Young. Young was found at 11:50 p.m. Sunday along the 4800 block of Penn Street with multiple stab wounds to her neck and chest, police said. She was lying on the street when officers arrived.
Police rushed the woman to nearby Aria Frankford Hospital for treatment. She died about 20 minutes later.
Officers were originally dispatched to the 4900 block of Griscom Street after a 911 call about the stabbing came in. That's about two blocks from where Young was found.
The motive for the stabbing is unknown.
"Maya’s name and memory now join an ever growing list of trans identified people who have lost their lives at far too young an age to violence," Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs.
Young is the first transgender person to be killed in Philadelphia this year, Fitzpatrick said. Last year, two transgender women were killed.
Keisha Jenkins was killed during an October robbery in Hunting Park. London Chanel was stabbed to death inside an abandoned home in May. Charges were filed in both cases.
Jenkins and Chanel's deaths were part of a spike in homicides of transgender people across the United States. Twenty-three trans and gender-nonconforming people were killed in 2015.
"We must work to increase opportunities for jobs and career paths, access to meaningful health care and the coverage to go along with it, housing and education," Fitzpatrick said.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took to the podium to introduce Donald Trump after Trump's impressive showing on Super Tuesday.
As Trump began his victory speech from Florida, Christie stepped back and stood behind him with a blank stare. An animated Trump took questions from reporters while Christie stood motionless in the background and did not maintain the role of "hype man." Soon, Christie was trending on Twitter.
"I'm a unifier. I know people are going to find that a little hard to believe but believe me," Trump said to the press.
"We have expanded the Republican party. When you look at what's happened at South Carolina and you see the kinds of numbers that we got, in terms of extra people coming in."
What was Christie thinking while Trump spoke? Here are some of the social media posts that attempt to answer that question.
The 7-year-old boy struck and injured by a stray bullet while inside his home in Paterson, New Jersey Monday evening called 911 himself to report he'd been shot.
Jayden Deleon was at home with his grandmother Monday night when gunshots rang out in the street, and a bullet pierced the window of his home on Rosa Parks Boulevard and tore into his shoulder, according to his family.
His mother Diana Irizarri, who was out with her sister at the time, told NBC 4 New York partner station Telemundo-47 that a neighbor called to tell them police were rushing to her home.
"I called my mom and my mom is hysterical crying but I'm not understanding what she's saying because my sister is going crazy on the other side," Irizarri said in an exclusive interview Tuesday.
"I'm freaking out, and she told me 'he's OK, he's OK,'" she said. "I'm like, 'Who's OK?' And that's when she told me my son got shot."
Irizarri later learned that her mother -- the boy's grandmother -- was distraught in the initial moments of the shooting.
"He kept on telling her, 'I'm hurt, I'm hurt, call the ambulance,'" she said. "She was hysterical crying, she didn't know what was going on, the calls weren't going through."
"So he was like, 'Give me, mama, give me the phone and I'll do it," said Irizarri. "He made the call, he told 911 he was hurt, he had just gotten shot, to come quick."
Irizarri rushed home, ran out of her car and went straight to the waiting ambulance outside her house, where her son was already inside.
"The cop tried to calm me down, he said, 'Look, he's in there, he's being so brave, he hasn't cried. I don't want him to see you like this so he won't get hysterical,'" Irizarri recounted.
So the mother went to collect some clothes from inside the house and followed her son to the hospital in another ambulance.
When she met her boy at St. Joseph's Medical Center, "he was so calm and collected," while she still felt frantic, Irizarri said.
Police commended Jayden for staying cool and calling 911 and gave him a gift at the hospital. He was treated for the wound and released Tuesday. The bullet did not hit any muscle or bone, according to his mother.
His aunt Jennifer Rodriguez told NBC 4 New York that Jayden, a middle child, has been an honor student since kindergarten and that he loves reading and helps his brothers and sisters with homework.
Prosecutors and police are investigating the shooting. They say six shots were fired and don't believe the boy was an intended target.
Jayden's family has been touched by gun violence before: Two years ago, a second cousin to Jayden, 12-year-old Genisis Rincon, was struck in the head and killed by a stray bullet as she rode her scooter on Rosa Parks Boulevard, less than 100 feet from Jayden's home, according to Rodriguez.
Irizarri said she knows "police try their best," but wants them to patrol the neighborhood more carefully and be more aggressive.
"When you're not even safe in your house, I don't know," she said.
More than three years after Hurricane Sandy devastated New Jersey, thousands of homeowners are still feeling its effects. According to data obtained and analyzed by the NBC10 Investigators, just more than one out of every three homes has been fully rebuilt in the state’s largest recovery initiative.
NBC10 Investigative Reporter George Spencer spoke with three residents who -- a full 40 months after Sandy -- are still waiting for their homes to be completed.
Penny Ryan of Little Egg Harbor Township showed Spencer her front door, which sits well above her head but has no stairs. The backyard where her six children played remains a mud pit.
“We continue to come back every single day – and it’s a reminder, every day, that this occurred. And we’re still living in it. We’re still living this devastation,” Ryan said.
On Pelican Island, adjacent to Seaside Heights, Sue Kosakowski’s retirement dream is also still not rebuilt.
Neither is Lori Tyska’s home across the street.
“I just feel almost hopeless. Almost hopeless,” Tyska told Spencer.
Each of the three women is frustrated by the pace of the recovery, and by public claims seeming to indicate the recovery is complete. At his last presidential debate, Governor Chris Christie exclaimed that the state had recovered.
“And when the worst natural disaster in your state’s history hits you, they expect you to rebuild their state, which is what I’ve done,” Christie said.
The NBC10 Investigators dug into the data for New Jersey’s largest recovery initiative: The Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation, and Mitigation (RREM) Program. The program either reimburses homeowners for repairs or pays contractors directly for the work.
We found 7,774 RREM grant agreements have been signed since the October 2012 storm. Yet, only 2,774 RREM homes have actually been re-built, which is about one out of every three approved projects.
The NBC10 Investigators also confirmed that more than 600 of those projects were just finished in the last quarter of 2015.
Ryan says her case was slowed because RREM was unprepared for the contractor fraud she suffered.
The first crews at Tyska’s house didn’t correctly repair her foundation. Tyska says RREM wasn’t able to quickly find a new contractor to do the follow-up work, which left her home with township code violations in the meantime.
Kosakowski blames her delays on inconsistency in re-building standards between RREM, her insurance, and the township.
The RREM program is intended to help residents re-build, even despite such complications. Yet these homeowners say, inefficient and inadequate communication from RREM has often slowed repairs down further, and has occasionally added new hurdles.
“They are not equipped to handle the scope of what Sandy brought to New Jersey,” Sue Kosakowski.
After RREM representatives declined our on-camera interview request, we caught up with Governor Christie on the campaign trail in New Hampshire in February.
Christie told Spencer: “I’m never satisfied until everybody gets back in their home. But going from 365,000 homes destroyed to four or five thousand… “
Spencer then asked about the RREM program, but Christie walked onto his campaign bus instead of answering. The governor’s office never responded to our requests for a more complete interview.
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs points to other numbers, saying nearly all RREM grant agreements have been signed, and about 6,700 of RREM’s 7,700 participants have received a notice to proceed with construction.
However, those numbers don’t reflect whether or not construction has begun.
For the many in the still-unfinished group, frustration continues to grow.
“It’s hard to explain what it does to you, but it actually gets to the fiber of your soul,” Kosakowski said.
Kosakowski, Ryan, and Tyska are part of a group called the New Jersey Organizing Project. State officials say they’ve 'personally met and frequently communicate' with the group to address concerns.
By May 1, 2016, New Jersey’s Housing Recovery Centers will be closed and consolidated into just two offices.
Officials say that will allow them to focus more of their resources on rebuilding and project completion, which they say are now the “predominant needs” of RREM homeowners.
Three people are in the hospital after police say a man opened fire on two younger men during a fight in the Queen Village section of Philadelphia.
The 65-year-old man was walking with his wife on the 700 block of S. 2nd Street shortly after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday when they were approached by a 21-year-old man and a 20-year-old man, police said. Investigators say the two younger men and the 65-year-old man got into an argument which then became physical.
The younger men, one of whom is from Cinnaminson, New Jersey, allegedly began to beat the 65-year-old man. The 65-year-old man, who has a license to carry, then pulled out a .45 caliber pistol and opened fire, according to investigators. The 21-year-old was struck once in the neck while the 20-year-old was struck in the stomach. The younger men were taken to the hospital where one is in stable condition while the other is in serious condition.
Police told NBC10 the District Attorney's Office will determine what sparked the fight and whether or not the shooting was in self-defense.
"This is a decision the District Attorney's Office will make in reference to charges," said Philadelphia Police Inspector Raymond Evers.
The 65-year-old man was also taken to the hospital for treatment. His wife was not hurt.
Philadelphia police are honoring a hero to mark the one-year anniversary of his death.
Officer Jonny Castro, the new Forensic Graphic Artist for the Philadelphia Police Department, created a digital painting of Sergeant Robert Wilson III.
“March 5 will mark the 1-year anniversary of Sergeant Robert Wilson’s murder,” Castro said. “I painted this portrait of him in remembrance of what he did for us all.”
On March 5, 2015, Wilson and his partner were conducting a security check of the GameStop store on the 2100 block of West Lehigh Avenue. While Wilson was inside picking up a gift for his son, Carlton Hipps, 29, and his 25-year-old half-brother Ramone Williams entered the store, according to investigators.
The two suspects allegedly took out handguns and announced a robbery. They then surrounded Officer Wilson and opened fire at point blank range, according to investigators. Police say Wilson, despite being struck several times, returned fire, engaging in a shootout with the suspects.
Wilson’s partner, who was outside at the time, ran into the store and fired at one of the suspects, striking his leg as he attempted to flee. The second suspect tried to escape as well but was apprehended by responding officers, police said.
Wilson was taken to Temple University Hospital where he died from his injuries.
Wilson received numerous posthumous honors for his actions including a medal of valor and a Police Hero plaque. He was also promoted to sergeant.
“Officer Wilson's courageous action under extremely dangerous conditions is in keeping with the traditions maintained by the Philadelphia Police Department,” a police spokesperson said. “Officer Wilson made the ultimate sacrifice by giving his life for the lives of others. His bravery and dedication to service, as well as to the citizens of Philadelphia is an inspiration to us all and will not be forgotten."
Both Hipps and Williams could face the death penalty for Wilson’s killing.
Philadelphia Police took a man and woman into custody after a fight between groups from different places broke out in Center City Philadelphia overnight that left two people stabbed.
The brawl started between a group from Philadelphia and a group from outside the city around 1 a.m. near 10th and Market streets, said Philadelphia Police.
Investigators didn’t immediately know what led to the brawl that left two people hospitalized in stable condition for stab wounds.
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said officer arrested a man and woman.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton dominated on Super Tuesday but the day had a few surprises. Sens. Ted Cruz, the Republican from Texas, and Bernie Sanders, Vermont's independent running in the primary as a Democrat, won not only their home states but also Oklahoma, while New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie showed up again on the campaign trail.
Here's a look at a few notable moments as 12 states went to the polls.
Where's Christie?
Christie is not only out of the presidential race but if six Gannett newspapers in his state have their way, he’ll be out of a job too.
The newspapers issued a joint editorial Tuesday calling on Christie to resign following his failed presidential campaign and his endorsement of Trump. If he doesn’t, New Jersey should start a recall effort, the papers wrote.
"We’re fed up with Gov. Chris Christie’s arrogance," the editorial said. "We’re fed up with his opportunism. We’re fed up with his hypocrisy."
Christie spent part of 261 days out of state last year and later traveled to endorse Trump, the editorial noted.
That was true again on Tuesday, when Christie was in Florida to introduce Trump before a speech.
“America wants to be strong and successful again but they know that to do that they need to have a strong, bold, tough, decisive leader back in the Oval Office,” Christie said.
Christie, who stood behind Trump as the businessman spoke, has denied that he is jockeying for a job in a Trump administration.
He was notably subdued when joining Trump, which prompted a lot of chatter on Twitter. One of the hashtags that gained prominence was #FreeChrisChristie.
Head-to-Head With Trump?
Cruz wasted no time in urging his Republican rivals to back him so that he could take on Trump head-to-head.
“So long as the field remains divided Donald Trump’s path to the nomination remains more likely,” he said. “And that would be a disaster for Republicans, for conservatives and for the nation.”
He said he was the only Republican who had beaten Trump three times — in Iowa, Texas and Oklahoma.
“After tonight we have seen that our campaign is the only campaign that has beaten, that can beat and that will beat Donald Trump,” he said.
Late in the night, Sen. Marco Rubio got his first win, in Minnesota.
Taking on Trump
Even before Super Tuesday was over, Clinton was looking ahead not only to the next round of primaries but to the general election and her expected rival, Trump.
“We know we’ve got work to do but that work is not to make America great again,” she said in a dig at Trump’s campaign slogan. “America never stopped being great. We have to make America whole.”
“USA, USA,” the crowd chanted.
“I believe what we need in America today is more love and kindness,” she said. “Because you know what, it works. Instead of building walls, we’re going to break down barriers and build ladders of opportunity and empowerment.”
In his speech Tuesday, Trump insisted the country would build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, a mainstay of his campaign.
And, he said, "Mexico is going to pay for the wall."
A Lavish Backdrop
Trump has gone his own way in the contest for the Republican presidential nomination and Super Tuesday was no exception.
Trump chose to give a news conference instead of the traditional victory party.
The Associated Press noted that reporters had assembled hours before in what it described as a Versailles-worthy room at his sprawling Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, adorned with gold-leaf detailing, columns, and three enormous crystal chandeliers.
An Early Night
Sanders came out early in the evening to give a victory speech in his home state of Vermont, where polls were among the first to close on Super Tuesday.
“I am so proud to bring Vermont values all across the country,” he told a crowd chanting “Feel the Bern” and “Bernie.”
By speaking so early, Sanders was able to savor his win despite losses that came later in the evening. He predicted he would win many hundreds of delegates as they were divided proportionately among the candidates.
He did win hundreds of delegates but Clinton won more.
Temple University and other Pennsylvania public schools made their case for funding as Pennsylvania’s budget squabble continues.
Leaders from state-related universities took to the Capitol in Harrisburg to make their cases in front of the Senate and House appropriations committees Wednesday.
A home in the process of being demolished collapsed Wednesday morning sending a scare into a neighbor.
A vacant property along N. Heald Street near 11th Street in Wilmington fell down around 9:15 a.m. sending bricks onto the ground below. Officials believe high winds loosened the supporting structural members that were put in place, causing the collapse.
No one was seriously hurt by the collapse but medics evaluated a man in a neighboring row home after he took a spill after the loud bang caused him to jump out of bed, said authorities on the scene. The man was then taken to Wilmington Hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Two adjoining properties on N. Heald Street were both evacuated and condemned by L&I due to structural damage caused by the collapse. Two adults were relocated by the Delaware Red Cross while another family declined Red Cross assistance and went with family members.
Responding Wilmington firefighters also determined there was a gas leak on N. Heald Street. When the fire crews tried to secure the gas they discovered the leak was between the street and shut off. Delmarva gas workers were then called in to secure the gas main. The incident was placed under control around 11 a.m. Delmarva workers, firefighters and L&I officials remain at the scene.
Licensed contractor Carolina Construction began demolition preparations on the property on March 1. There were no contractors on site at the time of the collapse however.
Mike Abdullah watched as a young woman lay shot in the street in a corner of north Philadelphia known as the Badlands, spitting up the blood that gradually choked her to death.
The fatal shooting was one of many he says he has seen in the city over the years and felt helpless to stop. Recently, Abdullah — who also lost a younger brother and four nephews to gun violence — joined more than 50 of his neighbors at an elementary school to learn how to help the next victim in time.
"He did what most young men do, tried to run to the hospital," Abdullah, 61, said of his brother. "He made it right up to the door and died because there was nobody to do these procedures on him."
Temple University Hospital is enlisting neighborhood residents — most of them poor, black and living in violent areas — in the program, called "Fighting Chance." The doctors and nurses conducting the training have plenty of experience, as the hospital treats at least 400 shooting victims a year.
The moments after a shooting are critical. A gunshot victim hit in the upper arm or thigh can bleed out in two minutes. Borrowing from battlefield tactics, the trainers teach neighborhood residents how to tighten a tourniquet around someone's arm, drag them to safety, apply pressure to major arteries to stop bleeding, and position victims in a vehicle before rushing them to a hospital.
The program is part of a national campaign by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security called "Stop the Bleed," which recognizes that no matter how fast emergency responders get to a scene, bystanders will be there first. But most of the efforts elsewhere are aimed at teaching the public how to respond to mass shootings or mass accidents like a plane or train crash.
Fighting Chance is run by volunteer hospital staff. Organizers are hoping to find funding to help pay for gunshot-treatment kits to distribute to people who have completed the program and to leave in places that could be adjacent to gun violence, from recreation centers to late-night takeout restaurants.
At the recent training, grandmothers, uncles, young women and boys as young as 10 years old paid close attention as hospital volunteers demonstrated techniques before practicing on one another. Absent were young black men — the most likely group to be shot and killed.
Homicide is the leading cause of death for black males between 18 and 34 years old in the U.S. and in Philadelphia. Police recorded more than 1,240 shootings across the city last year, including 690 involving young black men. Of those, 236 were fatal, and 51 percent of those killed were young black men.
Scott Charles, Trauma Outreach Coordinator at Temple University Hospital and one of the program's organizers, suggested part of the challenge could be a mutual wariness between the young men and some in the community who fear them.
"The guys who are sometimes engaged in the kinds of activities that put them in harm's way are sometimes reluctant to interact with folks that they see as being people who would tell on them," Charles said. "We have to be creative in how we get to them, because they need to be here."
Marquita Harrington, a 32-year-old mother of two who attended a recent class, also noted black men her age are not part of the conversation.
"We need to make them feel like a person and start letting them know we do care about them and that we don't think they're a nuisance," she said.
In Fairhill, the neighborhood where the most recent class was taught, there have been 730 shootings since 2011. The approach might seem surreal but is a logical response to daily reality, Abdullah said.
"This shouldn't be, that we're learning war zone tactics to save lives," Abdullah, 61, said. "This has been the best answer so far to save our children. The better solution is to get them jobs and education."
The mood was enthusiastic, reflecting residents' investment in the training and a sense of urgency, said Ricardo Rose, who lived in the neighborhood as a child and moved back three years ago.
"Everybody wants to talk about the lead crisis in Flint," Rose said, referring to the Michigan city where lead has tainted drinking water for months.
"There's lead poisoning happening here, too."
