Surveillance video taken by NBC10 shows four men approaching a silver 2015 Mercedes Benz along Block 1400 on East Cheltenham Avenue at 4:46 p.m. of Sunday. The men then dragged the 27-year-old driver out of the car. Then one of the suspects pulled out a gun and opened fire. The victim was shot once in the stomach. The suspects then stole the man’s car and left. The victim was transported to Temple University Hospital where he is currently being treated in critical condition. A family friend identified the man as Raheem Bell. “I just want to be well,” Bell’s neighbor Nneka Burnett told NBC10. “He’s a good guy. I just want him to be well. I just want him to succeed. He has a beautiful family. His mother is a nurse. His father was just honored with the city.” No arrests were made and no weapon was found. Police said the stolen Mercedes Benz has license plate number LFD-2466. They have not released a detailed description of the suspects. Neighbors described Bell as a positive element in the community that hosted a Christmas toy ride last year for families affected by the pandemic and recently set up a home care company to help those in need. “He’s very down to earth,” Chris Dinofa, one of Bell’s neighbors, told NBC10. “Very polite, always smiling, always doing things for the neighbors like helping the neighbors shovel.” Burnett told NBC10 that Bell’s family is asking for prayers. “His family was the backbone of our community and I just feel like it’s time to become their backbone,” he said. If you have any information about the incident or where the stolen vehicle is located, call 911 or the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or 215-686-8720. There are additional resources for individuals or communities who have suffered gun violence in Philadelphia. More information can be found here.
