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'Miraculous': Philadelphia cop survives 4th of July shooting as bullet gets lodged in hat

'It is miraculous the fact that the round stopped in his hat,' said Philadelphia Police Department Commissioner Danielle Outlaw

A Philadelphia officer had a miraculous escape in a shooting incident at the Fourth of July fireworks display close to the Parkway Welcome America Festival. Reports said the 36-year-old Philadelphia Police Highway Patrol officer and a 44-year-old member of the Montgomery County Bomb Unit were injured in the shooting. One of them discovered a bullet lodged in his hat after being injured on Monday night at the festival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"It is miraculous the fact that the round stopped in his hat," said Philadelphia Police Department Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. "I think initially it went up the inside and hit his forehead and then the round stopped in his hat." The injured officer was taken to Jefferson University Hospital, and according to the authorities he was in a stable condition.

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The shooting took place after a free concert in the park on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The concert, which was a part of the city's 16-day Welcome America Festival and was sponsored by Wawa, featured performances by Jason Derulo, Tori Kelly, and Ava Max.

The other officer was sent to the same hospital after being shot in the right shoulder. According to Fox 29, the unnamed officers were freed about two hours later. Chris O'Connell, a reporter at Fox 29 Philadelphia tweeted, "Good News: According to police on scenes both police officers shot tonight on the Parkway have just been released from the hospital."

A substantial police presence was visible in videos recorded at the scene diverting people away from the scene of the incident. In other videos, dozens of people could be seen fleeing the scene. Up to 100,000 people, according to estimates, attended the Fourth of July celebration.

People in nearby buildings were told by Philadelphia police to take cover and avoid the area if they weren't already there. Officers also established a reunification meeting location on Vine Street in front of the Free Library of Philadelphia for people who became separated from family and friends in the chaos that followed. No known persons of interest, and no suspect has so far been taken into custody by the authorities.

Meanwhile, six people were killed and around 30 injured in a Fourth of July shooting incident in Chicago. It was the first Fourth of July parade at Highland Park since the pandemic started. Robert E Crimo III, the possible suspect, has been taken into custody near Lake Forest, Illinois, authorities said during a brief news conference on the night of July 4.