Police: Father dies after being shot in the face in Fairmount

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Police say a 38-year-old man shot in the face in Fairmount has died. The victim has been identified as Gerard Grandzol.

The 38-year-old father of two was gunned down in front of his 2-year-old daughter Thursday night in a carjacking gone bad on Melon Street.

"Gerard Grandzol was coming home from Lemon Hill, playing Frisbee with his daughter and his dog," Homicide Unit Captain Jack Ryan said.

Police say Grandzol pulled up to his home on the block around 8 p.m. in his family SUV with his daughter and dog inside. Two gunmen approached him, demanded his wallet, then his car. Grandzol could be heard telling them his daughter was inside. They shot him twice in the face, according to police.

Sources say the gunman ran from the scene and dropped the victim's wallet at the end of the block. They passed several people laughing as they fled. They entered the SEPTA line at Fairmount, paid the fare and boarded the subway. It was all captured on video surveillance.

"We're pursuing all the investigative leads and avenues open to us. There's a great deal of people upstairs working on this job," Captain Ryan said.

Neighbors called Grandzol "the mayor". He was a block captain and community activist. He helped organize parties and other neighborhood events. He and his wife just had their second child.