A 'tragic' weekend in Philadelphia: 2-year-old girl killed, 11-month-old boy hurt in separate shootings

A 2-year-old girl died in a shooting in North Philadelphia on Sunday, a day after an 11-month-old baby was shot in the area, police said.

Authorities said a gunman fired into a Kensington home, striking the girl in the back of the head and wounding two other people. She died at the scene, police said, while her 24-year-old mother is in stable condition and a 33-year-old man is critically injured. 

On Saturday night, an 11-month-old baby inside a moving car was shot four times, police said. The unidentified baby is in critical condition, and a $5,000 reward for information on the suspect is being offered by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5. 

The baby's stepmother heard gunfire while driving in North Philadelphia, WCAU-TV reported, and tried to get out of the area. She found out the baby was injured and saw bullet holes in the car about 10 minutes later, the station reported.  

Gunshots struck the back of the boy's head, his chest and his buttocks, police said. 

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said police are investigating the incidents. 

"My prayers are with their families and communities during this tragic time," he tweeted. "Philadelphians should not live in fear of violence that could take away a child’s life. But for too many, this is a sad reality. With the unabated flow of illegal guns and drugs, we must do whatever we can locally to address violence and help residents."

Kim Cash, a neighbor of the stepmother, told WCAU-TV that she was shocked by the shooting.

"I hope that baby pulls through," Cash said. "I really do. I really do. Eleven months old. My heart is breaking right now. I don't know what to do."

About a mile away from the scene of the car shooting, a triple shooting injured three men an hour earlier. All are in stable condition, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.   

Philadelphia has recorded 227 homicide victims so far this year, according to the police department, a 3% increase over a year ago. The city saw its highest homicide count since 2007 last year, with 353 deaths. 

Contributing: The Associated Press