'He just opened the door': Teen shot outside his home in South Philadelphia
A 15-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after being shot outside of his South Philadelphia home early Monday morning.
Loved ones say the teen is on the mend but still trying to process the violence that unfolded at his literal doorstep.
"I guess he's trying to rationalize what happened," said his godmother, Iyonnah West. "It actually spikes his blood pressure on the monitor. We do a lot of trying to take his mind off of that."
West said the shooting happened around 1 a.m. Monday on the 1900 block of Woodstock Street. The teen had come outside to let her in the house when gunfire erupted.
"He literally came outside to open the door for me cause it was late. Next thing you know, you hear the bullets, try to run, I see my godson on the ground," West said.
She said several bullets hit the teen in the leg. Six shell casings were recovered by police at the scene, and one bullet went through a neighbor's home at the top of the block.
"I heard the gunshots, heard the glass, looked out, just saw some people outside," one neighbor said. "It surprised me, I was like, 'That was gunshots.' Let me see... cause my wife was downstairs with the baby, cause he was awake, but luckily everyone was okay."
The neighbor said the shooting has him thinking about leaving the neighborhood.
"I was already thinking of moving, and this just kind of solidifies it," he said.
West said the injured teen has already endured multiple hospital stays for a medical condition. He was diagnosed with Blount's disease, which causes his legs to bow, and had undergone two major corrective surgeries.
"They're hopeful for mobility; they've also put a rod in his leg to help recreate the bone because the bullet has fractured his bones," West said. "Each leg took about eight to nine months to heal, so after that, he just finished healing. He didn't get to use his brand-new legs yet, and now, we have to do this all over again."
West said the teen is upset that the injury will keep him from celebrating another birthday.
"He's just kind of upset that it's gonna be another birthday he won't be able to do nothing for," she said.
"I just feel like it's an unfortunate situation," West added. "It was very random. Then for out of all people for anything to happen to, it's the child that doesn't really go outside. He's very much a homebody."
Philadelphia police say there are no updates in the investigation.
