Shooting News in Grand Rapids and Philadelphia

May 6, 2026, 17:41

Introduction

Police in Grand Rapids and Philadelphia are looking into two shootings. Young people were hurt in both cities.

Main Body

On Tuesday, a man shot people near a school in Grand Rapids. A 14-year-old boy and a woman died. Police caught the man. The school closed for one day on Wednesday. On the same day, a 14-year-old boy was shot in Philadelphia. He went to the hospital. He is okay now. Police are looking at videos to find the shooter. Crime is changing in these cities. Grand Rapids has more violent crime this year. Philadelphia has fewer shootings of young people than last year.

Conclusion

Police in both cities are still working to find answers.

Learning

🕒 The 'Time-Jump' Pattern

Look at how the story moves from now to yesterday. To reach A2, you need to know when to stop using the present and start using the past.

The Pattern:

Now (General/Current): Police are looking... (Action happening right now)
Past (Finished): A man shot... The school closed... (Action is over)

Simple Word Swaps: $ext{is} ightarrow ext{was}$ $ext{are} ightarrow ext{were}$ $ext{close} ightarrow ext{closed}$

Why this matters: If you say "The school closes on Wednesday" (Present), it sounds like a schedule. If you say "The school closed on Wednesday" (Past), it is a story about something that already happened.

Quick Guide for the Story:

Looking/Working $\rightarrow$ Ongoing (Present)
Shot/Caught/Died/Went $\rightarrow$ Completed (Past)

Vocabulary Learning

shooting (n.)

an act of firing a gun

Example:The shooting at the mall caused many people to flee.

police (n.)

law enforcement officers who keep the law

Example:The police arrived quickly after the incident.

looking (v.)

searching or investigating

Example:The police are looking for clues.

hurt (v.)

to be injured or wounded

Example:Several people were hurt in the accident.

closed (v.)

shut and not open

Example:The school was closed for a day.

hospital (n.)

a place where sick or injured people are treated

Example:He was taken to the hospital.

videos (n.)

recordings of moving images

Example:The police reviewed the videos.

crime (n.)

an illegal act or wrongdoing

Example:Crime rates have increased in the city.

violent (adj.)

involving or using physical force

Example:He is a violent offender.

answer (n.)

a response or solution

Example:They are looking for an answer to the problem.

working (v.)

functioning or operating

Example:The machine is working properly.