Woman Shot and Thrown from Moving SUV in West Philadelphia — Police Launch Urgent Manhunt
WEST PHILADELPHIA, PA — A shocking act of violence has left the West Philadelphia community in mourning and investigators urgently searching for answers after a 32-year-old woman was shot and thrown from a moving SUV on Thursday night, May 8, 2025.
According to the Philadelphia Police Department, the incident occurred around 9:16 p.m. on the 5000 block of Parkside Avenue. Witnesses say they saw a light-colored SUV traveling eastbound when the woman was violently ejected from the vehicle onto the roadway. Officers and emergency responders arrived to find the woman suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest and severe blunt force trauma to her face.
She was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center by medics, where she was pronounced dead at 9:53 p.m.
As of Friday, the victim’s identity has not been released publicly, pending notification of next of kin. However, police have confirmed that she was a Philadelphia resident and believe she may have known her assailant.
Authorities are actively investigating the incident as a homicide and are reviewing area surveillance cameras for leads on the suspect vehicle. No arrests have been made, and no suspect descriptions have been released as of this report.
“This was a brutal and deliberate act,” said Philadelphia Police Homicide Capt. James Kearney. “We are working around the clock to gather evidence and bring justice for the victim and her family.”
The location of the crime — a residential stretch near Fairmount Park — has left neighbors shaken.
“It’s horrifying,” said a local resident who lives near the intersection of Parkside and 51st Street. “To think someone could be shot and just dumped from a car like that — it’s heartbreaking and terrifying.”
City leaders and anti-violence advocates are renewing calls for more action against rising gun violence, which has taken a heavy toll on Philadelphia communities in recent years.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact the Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or submit tips anonymously through the department’s tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.