Police say the 35-year-old woman was alone when officers found her, while detectives examine how the shooter entered and left.
PHILADELPHIA — A 35-year-old woman had recently moved into a Wissinoming home before she was found critically wounded there Wednesday night, a detail investigators are considering as they try to determine what happened before officers arrived.
Police were called shortly after 8:30 p.m. Nov. 4 to the 4700 block of Benner Street after a shooting was reported inside a residence. Officers entered the property and found the woman unresponsive on the kitchen floor with a gunshot wound to the head. She was taken to a hospital, where she remained in critical condition Thursday morning.
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said the woman had recently moved into the property and was alone when officers found her. Authorities have not released her name, identified a suspect or announced a motive. Police also have not said whether they believe the shooter was known to the woman.
The condition of the home when officers arrived has become part of the developing account of the case. KYW Newsradio reported that the rear door was wide open when police reached the property. FOX 29 reported that investigators found no evidence of forced entry. Authorities have not publicly said whether either detail points to how the shooter gained access to the residence.
No weapon connected to the shooting had been recovered, according to police accounts reported by NBC10 and 6abc. Investigators also had not released a description of the person they were seeking. Those unknowns leave detectives trying to reconstruct events from evidence inside and around the home.
Investigators are examining surveillance cameras at nearby homes, Small said. Video could help police establish when people approached or left the residence and provide a clearer timeline surrounding the shooting. Police have not announced whether investigators have obtained images of a possible suspect or vehicle.
Reports placed the shooting at roughly 8:30 to 8:45 p.m. Wednesday. NBC10, 6abc and FOX 29 identified the location as the 4700 block of Benner Street, while other reporting differed on the neighborhood description. More recent reporting from KYW placed the incident near Benner Street and Torresdale Avenue in Wissinoming.
The woman’s recent move remains one of the few personal circumstances police have disclosed publicly. Investigators have not released information about how long she had lived at the property, whether anyone else had access to the residence or what may have happened immediately before the shooting.
Police continued searching for the shooter Thursday. No arrest had been announced, the woman’s identity remained withheld, and investigators had not publicly established a motive or explained the circumstances that led to the gunfire.
Author note: Last updated November 5, 2026.