In the city of Philadelphia, on a summer evening, the life of 18-year-old Angelina Picano was tragically cut short. On June 22, 2026, police were called to a home on the 2800 block of South 10th Street around 5:30 p.m. for a report of a person with a gun. Inside the residence, they discovered a heart-wrenching scene. Angelina, her 55-year-old great-aunt Denise Grottini, and her 67-year-old grandmother Janice Picano were all found with gunshot wounds to the head.
Medics arrived shortly after and pronounced all three women dead at the scene at 5:38 p.m.
The preliminary investigation by the Philadelphia Police Department's Homicide Unit pointed towards a grim conclusion: a double murder-suicide. Investigators believe that Janice Picano, Angelina's grandmother, was the perpetrator. It is thought that she shot and killed both her granddaughter, Angelina, and her own sister, Denise, before turning the weapon on herself. A firearm was recovered from the home, further solidifying the investigators' initial assessment. The motive for this tragic event has not been publicly released by the authorities. Those who knew the family have suggested that Janice had been the caretaker for both her sister and her granddaughter.
Angelina Picano, born on January 5, 2008, was a student at Horace Howard Furness High School. Her passing was a shock to the community, with neighbors and loved ones gathering outside the home in disbelief as the news unfolded. A crowdfunding campaign was initiated to help the family with the unexpected funeral expenses for all three women, described as cherished members of the South Philadelphia community for generations. Angelina was remembered for her vibrant personality, her love of music, and a deep affection for her family. Because the sole suspect in the deaths of Angelina Picano and Denise Grottini took her own life, there have been no arrests, and there will be no subsequent trial or conviction. The investigation by the Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit is ongoing to understand the circumstances that led to this devastating loss of three lives from a single family.
