On a tragic evening in South Philadelphia, the quiet life of 55-year-old Denise Grottini was brought to a shocking and violent end. On Monday, June 22, 2026, police were called to a home on the 2800 block of South 10th Street, just a few blocks from where a World Cup soccer match was underway. Inside the residence, officers discovered a grim scene. Denise Grottini, her 18-year-old great-niece Angelina Picano, and her 67-year-old sister, Janice Picano, were all found with fatal gunshot wounds to the head. All three women, who lived together in the home, were pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 5:30 p.m. A firearm was recovered from inside the house, pointing to a tragic event that had unfolded within its walls.
As investigators from the Philadelphia Police Department's Homicide Unit began to piece together the events of that evening, a preliminary theory emerged. Evidence at the scene strongly suggested the incident was a double murder and suicide. Authorities believe that Janice Picano, Denise's older sister and Angelina's grandmother, was the perpetrator. It is believed that Janice shot and killed both Denise Grottini and her own granddaughter, Angelina, before turning the gun on herself. The motive for this devastating act has not been released by police, and the investigation remains active and ongoing. The loss was deeply felt in the community, with neighbors expressing their shock and sorrow over the violent event that shattered the peace of their neighborhood.
The tragedy left a profound impact on the family and the wider community. Angelina Picano was a student at Horace Howard Furness High School, and the School District of Philadelphia arranged for counselors to be available to support students and staff in the wake of her death. The case stands as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of gun violence. With the sole suspect deceased, there will be no arrests or subsequent trial. The case is being investigated as a murder-suicide, a somber conclusion to a family tragedy that claimed three lives. The final overview of the case points to a domestic dispute that escalated to a horrific act of violence, leaving a family and a community to mourn the sudden and senseless loss of Denise Grottini and Angelina Picano at the hands of their own relative.
