PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A woman remains hospitalized after police say she was shot by her estranged husband during an argument inside a vehicle in North Philadelphia.
Rachel Forbes, the victim’s sister, said 36-year-old Teresa Wesley and the suspect had been together for 20 years. The couple was estranged but may have been attempting to reconcile at the time of the shooting, according to Forbes.
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“She does have an extremely long road of recovery ahead of her, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally – this was her spouse at the end of the day,” Forbes said.
Police said the shooting happened last Wednesday afternoon in the 2900 block of Broad Street during an argument inside a Volvo that later crashed. Forbes said the family still does not know what led to the violence.
“To be honest, none of us know the details of what could’ve possibly escalated to anything of that magnitude, so our prayer is that our sister will be able to wake up and tell her story as to what truly happened,” she said.
Investigators said the suspect got out of the vehicle after the crash and turned the gun on himself. He was initially hospitalized, but police said he died over the weekend.
Wesley remains hospitalized, surrounded by family members, according to Forbes.
“She can shake her head, she can nod, she can answer questions, and she’s aware that we are all praying for her. We are fighting for her, and she’s fighting for herself,” Forbes said.
Forbes described her sister as a fighter who has survived two kidney transplants, including one recently.
“She was extremely excited, she was proud, she was excited, she was ready for this second, third chance at life herself and it just seems like it was snatched from her,” Forbes said.
Family members have remained by Wesley’s side at the hospital, though it is unclear when she may be released and will likely have long-term needs.
“My sister definitely sustained severe injuries, and she’s going to have a very long recovery ahead of her,” Forbes said. “Our family is distraught, our family is devastated, this is the hardest thing we’ve had to experience.”
In a statement provided to Action News, Philadelphia Chief Public Safety Director Adam Geer said the city has seen a decline in intimate partner violence and domestic violence homicides over the past year, while emphasizing the need for continued prevention efforts.
“In addition to the historic 60-year lows in homicides Philadelphia is experiencing, 2026 is also seeing a new trend of Intimate Partner Violence/Personal Violence declining. The Office of Public Safety, as part of the Parker Administration’s P.I.E. strategy, recognizes that addressing domestic and intimate partner violence is both a gun violence reduction strategy and a public safety strategy. For too long, these issues have been addressed separately. Over the past year, OPS has secured more than $1 million to strengthen readiness across all our Office’s divisions to identify risks earlier and coordinate intervention. During that same period, domestic violence homicides declined by roughly 7%, but every incident reminds us why we must continue building that capacity.”
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