Neighbors have set up a fund to help with the medical expenses of Philippe Holland, the 20-year-old pizza delivery driver who was shot by police in a tragic misunderstanding near 51st and Willows on April 22.

Philippe Holland

Holland, a Community College of Philadelphia student, is recovering in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) with three gunshot wounds, including one in the face.

Holland had just finished making a delivery when two plain-clothes officers attempted to stop and question him as he was walking along a sidewalk with his hands in his pockets and his hood up. The officers were investigating a shooting that had happened in the area minutes earlier. Holland, who police believe may have thought he was being robbed, ran to his car and drove toward the officers. The officers fired at least 14 shots into the car, according to reports. Holland was struck in the face, leg and neck.

Neighbors Patty Bulack and Kate Krauss, who live near where the shooting took place, have organized the “Fund for Phil.” Krauss said she recently spoke with Holland’s family at HUP.

“We want to offer the family some tangible solidarity,” Krauss said.

Holland will survive but needs facial reconstructive surgery and “probably a lot more,” she said.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey has visited Holland in the hospital. The shooting is still under investigation and the officers involved have been placed on desk duty.

Krauss said Holland’s mother asked her to convey to residents her hope that they keep Phillipe in their thoughts and prayers. She also hoped there could be a different way to get food to people at night other than drivers, who are often the target of violence.

There are two ways to help. You can drop a donation off at the Mariposa Food Coop at 4824 Baltimore Ave or you can go to Pay Pal, where the family has set up an account.  You will need to enter “FundforPhil – at – Gmail.com.”

Update (3:36 p.m.): Police have identified the victim as 20-year-old Philippe Holland from Upper Darby. The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Holland works for Slices and More in Upper Darby. A police report that we received on Wednesday afternoon stated that when ordered to stop, Holland fled to his gold Ford Taurus on Willows, backed out the parking spot and drove “forward toward the officers.” Two officers fired several shots each, striking both Holland and the vehicle. Holland, who was delivering a pizza to a home nearby, was shot in the leg, neck and head. He remains in critical condition at HUP.

A top Philadelphia Police official told reporters on Wednesday that the man plain-clothes police shot last night near 51st and Willows may have been a pizza delivery driver who tried to flee in his vehicle because he thought he was being robbed.

The shooting took place at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday night when police responded to gunshots near 51st and Baltimore. Neighbors reported hearing a couple of shots fired in the area and after a couple of minutes more shots.

Deputy Commissioner Richard Ross told reporters that the man was walking down the sidewalk when police approached him and identified themselves. Ross said the man apparently misunderstood the officers and fled to his car and drove at a high rate of speed toward the officers.

“The officers then discharged out of fear for their lives,” Ross said.

The man was struck three times, according to police. He is expected to survive.

Ross said the man was unarmed. No police officers were injured in the incident.

An investigation into the shooting is underway.

We’re starting to be convinced that Spring has sprung in the hood. Throw a #westphillylocal on your Instagram photos to get them on the site (in the right hand column). Happy holidays y’all!

Update: The victim of Tuesday morning shooting at the Copabanana was 31-year-old Timothy Cary of the 5100 block of Locust Street. Cary died at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

A man who police say lives near 52nd and Irving has been charged with murder for the early Tuesday morning shooting outside the Copabanana bar and restaurant at 40th and Spruce.

Corey Gaynor, 26, was arraigned yesterday afternoon on one count of murder and related weapons charges. Witnesses have identified Gaynor as the man who allegedly fired as many as 10 shots from point blank range at 31-year-old Timothy Cary after an argument inside the Copabanana that spilled outside onto the sidewalk. Penn police apprehended Gaynor near 40th and Pine a few minutes after the shooting.

Gaynor has been arrested before. In 2008 he served a prison term for carrying firearms in public. He has also been charged with drug and theft charges that were dismissed. The court documents showing the charges against Gaynor and past charges against him are here.

A 31-year-old man was shot and killed outside the Copabanana bar and restaurant at 40th and Spruce early Tuesday morning, according to police.

Police at the scene said that the shooter, who is in custody, fired at least 10 shots from a “large caliber semi-automatic handgun” to the victim’s torso and chest at about 1:30 a.m. Police said the shell casings from the weapon were found within inches of the victim’s body, indicating that he was shot at very close range.

The alleged shooter, a 26-year-old man from Southwest Philadelphia, was quickly apprehended by Penn police near 40th and Pine. Police found a weapon they believe is connected to the shooting near 40th and Pine. Police at the scene said several witnesses positively identified the 26-year-old as the shooter.

The victim was from 52nd and Locust, according to police.

Police say the shooting followed an argument that began inside the restaurant and moved outside onto the sidewalk. About 25 people were in the bar at the time of the shooting. No one else was injured.

Penn’s student paper The Daily Pennsylvanian has extensive coverage of the shooting here and GunCrisis.org was quickly on the scene with complete coverage here.

As you may have heard, today is the drop-dead deadline to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”).

The easiest way to do that is to go to the website here. As we have mentioned before, if you need some help navigating this thing, call a Free Library of Philadelphia branch, set up an appointment for today and get in there. There is a Certified Application Counselor Designated Organization at many library branches. They can help you.

Here are some pertinents:

• Charles L. Durham Library | 3320 Haverford Ave. | 215-685-7436
• Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library | 125 S. 52nd St. | 215-685-7429
• Walnut Street West Library | 201 S. 40th St. | 215-685-7671

Here is what you will need when you sign up (via the Free Library):

• Social Security Numbers (or document numbers for legal immigrants).
• If employed, your employer and income information for every member of your household who needs coverage (for example, from pay stubs or W-2 forms—Wage and Tax Statements).
• Policy numbers for any current health insurance plans covering members of your household.
• A completed Employer Coverage Tool form: For every job-based plan you or someone in your household is eligible for, you’ll need this form.

To speak directly with a customer service representative from the Health Insurance Marketplace please call 1-800-318-2596. Assistance is available in multiple languages.

The Obama administration has been really going after “The Young Invincibles,” you all between 18-29 who think it’s a wise financial move not to pay for insurance. Obama has a message for you.