A mechanic was killed by stray gunfire Thursday afternoon as he was working on a car outside his Wissinoming automotive shop, police said.
Officers responded to the 4800 block of Benner Street around 3:15 p.m. after hearing gunshots and found Michael Gleba, 56, of Bensalem, with a gunshot wound to the stomach. They rushed him to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, where he died a short time later, authorities said.
A few people were taken into custody in the immediate aftermath of the incident, police said, but their involvement in the shooting was unclear.
More than a dozen shell casings littered the street about a block away on Benner between Hegerman and Vandike streets.
For the last 17 years, Gleba has owned Northeast Speedometer Service Inc. at the corner of Benner and Edmund streets. He was “most well known for being a kind, selfless, caring, hardworking man of the community,” according to his obituary.
Gleba grew up in Wissinoming and previously worked at Tom Craig’s Goodyear and Mike G’s Auto Repair, the obituary said.
He is survived by his wife, five children, mother, two brothers, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A funeral mass was scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. at St. Bartholomew Church.
Less than two hours later, a man was shot and killed inside a corner store a few blocks away at Torresdale Avenue and Anchor Street, police said.
The victim, Izeem Hunter, 23, who lived nearby on the 2100 block of Anchor Street, was shot multiple times around 4:45 p.m., according to authorities. Officers also transported him to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, and he was pronounced dead just after 5 p.m.
No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, police said.
Investigators believe the killings are related, and homicide detectives are actively investigating both incidents.
Members of the Wissinoming community are planning a “Stop the Violence” rally on Saturday, April 27, at 6 p.m. outside Northeast Speedometer, 4807 Benner St. ••
