Philadelphia: Pregnant Megan Doto, 26, Shot to Death While Sitting on Lawn Chair, Watching Neighbor’s Child, 7, 11:50 A.M. Sunday; Her Unborn Boy was Delivered, but is Critical; Cop Says She was “in the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time”

 

Victim Megan Doto 

Re-posted by Nicholas Stix

Thanks to reader-researcher RC for this story.

The phrase, being “in the wrong place at the wrong time" was always moronic, because it speaks as if an act of free will were an unavoidable act of nature, but this is worse than usual. Typically, people use the phrase regarding crimes that happen late at night, but Capt. Stephen Murianka was speaking of something that happened on a Sunday in broad daylight, at 11:50 a.m. You know, when folks are just returning from church?
 

Frankford shooting leaves pregnant woman dead, newborn baby in critical condition
Sunday, September 14, 2014, 1:35 P.M.
Philadelphia Daily News
This post has been updated.
A barrage of gunfire in broad daylight in Frankford left a pregnant woman -- whom police say was an innocent bystander -- dead and her newborn baby clinging to life late Sunday morning.

The 26-year-old mother, identified by neighbors as Megan Doto, was sitting on a lawn chair outside on her block of Adams Avenue near Griscom Street at 11:50 a.m. when police say at least one gunman began firing shots from about a block up Griscom Street in Doto's direction -- possibly aiming for a man who was nearby at the time.

The bullets apparently missed their intended target, Police Capt. Stephen Murianka said at the scene, but one found the young mother's right cheek, striking her.

"It's a horrific circumstance," Murianka said. "She was not the intended target; she was just unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Police took Doto to Temple University Hospital, where she underwent an emergency C-section, police said. Doctors were unable to save her, and she was pronounced dead at 12:36 p.m.

Her newborn baby boy was delivered, but remained in critical condition around 7 p.m., according to police. It was unclear whether he was going to survive.

Murianka said Doto was about 50 feet from the corner rowhouse where she shares an apartment with her boyfriend, and was sitting outside watching the 7-year-old daughter of a neighbor when the shots rang out. The little girl Doto was babysitting was outside with her at the time, according to preliminary police information. She was not hit.

Police found about a dozen spent shell casings littering the ground on Griscom Street near Womrath, about a block from where the victim was sitting when she was hit. Murianka said police were investigating the possibility that a man who lives in the same apartment house as the victim and was on the street at the time of the shooting was the target. He said that man, as well as the victim's boyfriend and the mother of the 7-year-old girl she had been babysitting at the time of the shooting were all taken to speak with detectives at the Homicide Unit.

Murianka said police have not yet identified a suspect in the shooting, but were looking for a white car -- possibly a Chevy Impala -- seen leaving the block after the shooting. Preliminary police information also said police were looking for a late-model white Ford Crown Victoria.

No arrests were reported as of 7 p.m.

Stay with Philly Confidential for updates throughout the evening on this developing story, and read Monday's Philadelphia Daily News to learn more about Doto and her plans for her newborn.