Pregnant Woman Shot Dead While Unloading Gifts From Her Baby Shower

A heavily pregnant woman who was returning home with gifts she received at her baby shower was fatally shot in front of her house Saturday. The incident occurred around 8:30 pm on the 6100 block of Palmetto Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reports CNN.

“I heard like nine shots, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. It’s just horrific what happened. It’s just a horrific murder, and I hope someone finds whoever did this,” Denise Wilson, a neighbor, told NBC10.

A police officer on patrol about two blocks away heard the shots being fired. Upon arrival, they found the heavily injured woman, who was seven months pregnant, lying in a pool of blood with multiple gunshot wounds outside her home. The woman had sustained gunshot wounds in her stomach and the head. At least 11 shell casings were collected by investigators at the scene, according to police, reports ABC News.

First responders took the 32-year-old victim to Einstein Medical Center where she was pronounced dead at 9:06 p.m. Her unborn child died 10 minutes later.

Deputy Police Commissioner Christine Coulter said that the mother-to-be was carrying her gifts and going into her house when she was shot dead. "There was an officer a couple blocks away who heard the shots. When they came here, they discovered her shot several times," Coulter said. "The person that did this couldn't be more cowardly."

"When I look at this situation, it looks like someone was targeting her, looking for her," Coulter added.

The Philadelphia police department mentioned that no arrests have been made so far in connection to the crime, nor have any weapons been recovered.

On Sunday morning, Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted about the shooting, mentioning that the city is offering a $50,000 reward to anyone who comes forward with information about the tragic incident.

“Last night’s murder of a pregnant woman and her unborn baby is absolutely heartbreaking. While this attack appears to have been targeted, we will not rest until this obviously dangerous individual is in custody. I am pleased that the Mayor has increased the reward for the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator to $50,000," Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.

As of Saturday night, at least 491 homicides have been reported in Philadelphia from the start of the year, and it shows a 13% increase form 2020.

"Soon, we will reach, and almost certainly surpass, 500 homicides in our beautiful city," Outlaw said. "This unconscionable loss of life is almost too much to bear. On its own, 500 lives cut short is a staggering number. But whatever the final total, what this number can never truly show are the thousands of other lives impacted by sudden and tragic loss. The Philadelphia Police Department will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners and other stakeholders to get ahead of the violent crime that is plaguing our beautiful communities."