Man fires 15 shots into Pennsylvania bar and kills 21-year-old woman, cops say

A 21-year-old woman was killed when a gunman fired 15 shots into a bar he had been kicked out of, Pennsylvania cops say, according to media reports.

The shooting reportedly happened around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28, at Philly Bar and Restaurant in Philadelphia. Jailene Holton has been identified by multiple reports as the woman killed in the shooting.

Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said it started when three men began a disturbance in the bar, with one of them being the main agitator, KYW reported.

“That’s when employees and owner had to escort him out of the bar,” Small told KYW. “And all three of those individuals left, but the one who was causing the disturbance was having the most difficult time from the employees getting him out of the bar.”

That man walked to a pickup truck about 200 feet away and fired 15 shots back into the bar, according to WPVI.

One of the bullets struck Holton, who police said was hanging out with her friends.

“She was not part of the disturbance. She was not an employee. She was just a customer and she was with friends,” Small told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Matter of fact, she was not even anywhere near the front window where the bullets went through. She was further at the back of the bar and she was just spending time with her friends when she got struck by stray gunfire.”

First responders found the 21-year-old victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, WCAU reported. She was taken to the hospital, where she died.

A second victim was taken to the hospital for treatment after being cut in the face by glass, WTXF reported.

Officers are searching for the gunman, who The Philadelphia Inquirer reported fled with the other two men in a dark pickup truck.

James Holton, Jailene’s uncle, told WPVI his niece was acting as a designated driver for her friends and had only been at the bar for 15 to 20 minutes.

“Everybody’s running around like it’s the wild west out here,” James Holton said. “Cowards shooting at a bar from 150 feet or more. Somebody goes out for 10 or 15 minutes and then they’re dead. How’s that fair? How many children got to die before people say enough is enough?”’

This story was originally published June 29, 2022 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Man fires 15 shots into Pennsylvania bar and kills 21-year-old woman, cops say."