No suspects named in employee shooting

Philadelphia Police have not named any suspects in what is being described as the robbery-shooting of University employee Patrick Yannul, according to police officials.

Yannul was shot at approximately 1 a.m. on Monday in a Chinese takeout store on the 4900 block of Catharine Street in an attempted robbery.

He remains at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, but neither HUP nor University officials would release information about his condition. On Monday night, he was listed as stable.

Yannul is an employee of a research lab in the Medical School, and has also taken graduate courses at Penn.

On the night of the incident, the victim was walking near 49th and Catharine streets, in the vicinity of Baltimore Avenue, when he felt that someone was following him.

He walked into the Chinese takeout store located at 4905 Catharine St., and the robber-gunman followed him in.

"He was asked to empty his pockets and his backpack and... [was] shot in the upper left torso," said Sgt. Eric Fellows of the PPD Southwest Detective Division.

Why the shooting occurred is unclear. Apparently, Yannul did not turn over the contents of his backpack for the gunman, who, after firing the one shot, fled the scene immediately.

The case is still under investigation, but Fellows could not say whether the detectives had any solid leads at this point.

"They're working on what they have, but they don't have anything listed [on the computer database] at the moment," Fellows said.

The investigation is being undertaken entirely by the Philadelphia Police Department, although the University Police have pledged to assist the investigation, and Yannul, in any way they can.

The gunman was described as a black male, between the ages of 25 and 30, between 5'9" and 5'10" and weighing between 175 and 185 pounds. He was wearing a brown jacket, and has some facial hair. He is also armed.

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