Kaya Wagner
A day of celebration has been marked by tragedy after a suspect has been taken into custody for shooting two women after a fight broke out along Benjamin Franklin Parkway during the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LIX victory parade.
During a parade on Friday, Feb. 14 in celebration of the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LIX victory, a fight broke out after a 27-year-old Hispanic woman and her boyfriend attempted to cut a line to use a portable toilet. The boyfriend was punched and a fight broke out. The argument then led to shots being fired in the area. The gunman, who police allege was 28-year-old man Brandon Ramos, fired the shots which then hit and wounded the 27-year-old woman and another bystander, a 20-year-old Asian woman.
Both of the victims then showed up to a medical tent at 23rd and Spring Garden streets to seek treatment. The 27-year-old had a wound on her left leg while the 20-year-old had a wound on her thigh. Both women were then transferred to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where both of their conditions have been listed as stable.
The event occurred at about 2:35 p.m. on the 2300 block of Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which police have revealed was “outside of the footprint” of the parade. The incident broke out approximately a mile away from the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where Eagles players and team officials were giving celebratory speeches. While near the sight of the celebrations, the shooting did not directly impact any of the events or the parade itself.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, the police took the alleged gunman into custody. Ramos has been charged with aggravated assault, possessing an instrument of a crime, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person.
Philadelphia police are still investigating the incident, and have said that anyone with any information about the event should reach out to them.
