17-year-old is shot in the head as she walks her dog, Pennsylvania cops say

A 17-year-old was shot and killed as she was walking her dog in a Pennsylvania neighborhood, police say.

The shooting happened around 9 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, in northeast Philadelphia. The 17-year-old and a friend had left a convenience store and were walking back to one of their homes before the shooting occurred, Philadelphia police inspector DF Pace said in a news briefing streamed by WPVI.

Men inside a dark-colored Dodge muscle car made eye contact with the girls, and the vehicle began following them as they walked the dog, police said.

The girls kept walking when for unknown reasons, someone inside the Dodge fired at least six shots in their direction, according to Pace.

“The female was at that time just walking her small dog when she was struck in the head,” Pace said.

Officers found the 17-year-old with a gunshot wound and she was taken to a local hospital, where she died “shortly after arrival,” the police inspector said. The girl she was with was not physically injured.

The dog got away after the shooting, Pace said.

Police have not identified any suspects and are reviewing surveillance footage. Shell casings from “a large caliber handgun” were found on the street, according to the inspector.

“The victims did not indicate that they knew the individuals. In fact no words were exchanged, so it’s unclear for what reason they were targeted, if they were targeted at all,” Pace said.

Police have not publicly released the identity of the girl who was killed.

This story was originally published September 12, 2022 at 9:24 AM with the headline "17-year-old is shot in the head as she walks her dog, Pennsylvania cops say."