Two hurt in off-campus shooting

The Saturday shooting was preceded by an armed robbery at the Moravian Cafes a few hours earlier. University and Philadelphia police have their hands full this morning as they continue their investigations into an off-campus shooting early Saturday morning and an armed robbery at the Moravian Cafes food court hours earlier. According to University Police officials, two men traveling in a car were shot on the 3800 block of Market Street at around 12:25 a.m. on Saturday. One victim was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, while the other was sent to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Neither victim is believed to be affiliated with the University. According to University Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Tom King, both men were resting in stable condition as of last night. Although King was unsure of the exact nature of the injuries, he said he believed one victim was shot in the face and the other sustained a leg wound. Witnesses told police that five black men wearing dark clothing fled the scene, which is located near the First District Plaza on the northwest corner of 38th and Market streets. Both University and Philadelphia police patrols rushed to the area in what King called a "major response." Penn detectives are joining their Philadelphia counterparts in the investigation. King said he did not know how many shots were fired, but he did note that there were "numerous" shell casings at the scene. "We're involved in a joint investigation [with Philadelphia Police]," King said. "We're doing a lot of interviews right now." King declined to comment further on the status of the investigation. Saturday's incident marks the second shooting in the 38th Street area in just the past week. Last Monday, a man unaffiliated with the University was shot in the stomach outside the Pegasus Showcase nightclub at 3801 Chestnut Street. "There is no reason to believe the shootings are related at this time," King said. "Naturally, though, we're concerned," he added. In the weekend's other major incident, two employees at the Moravian Cafes food court, located at 3409 Walnut Street, were robbed at gunpoint shortly after closing on Friday night. According to University Police, two employees of Eat at Joe's Express were confronted at a rear service entrance at around 10 p.m. on Friday by two men, one who was carrying a gun. The suspects, who were both wearing dark ski masks at the time of the robbery, made off with over $1,600 from the establishment. Neither victim was physically injured during the robbery, though Eat at Joe's Express Manager Ken Gilliam said last night that the two employees continue to be "extremely shaken-up" by the incident. "Both were supposed to work yesterday and today, but they just couldn't do it," Gilliam said on Sunday. Gilliam, who was not present during the robbery, explained that the employees were completing paperwork after closing time and were confronted by the armed men as they tried to leave through the rear exit. The door, which leads into the main part of the kiosk, was pried open, Gilliam said. "[The robbers] waited until everyone left, then entered at the service entrance," Gilliam speculated. Spectaguards routinely patrol the food court, but Gilliam complained that no security officers were present on the night of the robbery -- a situation Gilliam labeled as a "consistent problem." "They're here during the day, but at nighttime, when the chains are on the [main] doors, they leave," Gilliam said. He explained that after meeting with Spectaguard officials following the robbery, security has been stationed at the food court both during the day and at night. "Unfortunately, they reacted to an event that already happened," Gilliam said. Gilliam added that he plans to contact officials from Trammell Crow -- the company that manages most of the University's properties, including the Moravian Cafes -- to explain the situation. Friday's armed robbery is not the first at the 3401 Walnut retail complex this year. On November 8, two masked gunmen entered Mad 4 Mex and herded three employees into a locked meat freezer, eventually making off with over $1,500 in cash. The case remains unsolved.

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