PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Five people were killed and two boys injured in a gunman wearing bulletproof vests in Philadelphia on Monday night, officials said.
The shootings occurred in several blocks in the Kingsething neighborhood of southwestern Philadelphia. Police Chief Daniel Outlaw told a news conference that officers were chasing the suspect as he continued to shoot. Eventually he surrendered and was arrested in an alley.
The outlaws thanked the officers for their quick response and saluted their courage, bravery and self-control in dealing with the situation. At this time, no direct link has been established between the victim and the shooter, Outlaw said. The 40-year-old was found to be in possession of a bulletproof vest, an AR rifle, multiple magazines, a handgun and a police scanner.
Police received a call about the incident around 8:00 am.
At 30:30 pm, the police were stopped and multiple calls of shootings came in from Kingsessing. More gunshots were heard as police responded to the first shooting victim. Fox 29 later reported that a fifth victim was found after being driven into his home and shot dead. Ammunition shells were found outside the house.
In addition to the suspected shooter, a second person who may have shot him was also arrested. Police have yet to determine if the two are related.
Dozens of cartridge cases were strewn across the eight-block radius, giving an indication of the scale of the shooting.
Outlaw highlighted ongoing investigations and efforts to identify witnesses, locate surveillance cameras, and elucidate the motives behind the attacks. Of the deceased victims, three were between the ages of 20 and 59, and a fourth victim, who has not yet been identified, is presumed to be between the ages of 16 and 21. The fifth victim found in his home was 31 years old. All victims were male.
The two injured boys, ages 2 and 13, were in stable condition when Outlaw was admitted to the hospital.
Eyewitness Tim Eads said he heard what he first thought were fireworks and then realized they were gunshots. He watched police cars speed past and saw a man with a gun approaching his city, while another person who might have fought back used Eads’ car as cover.
Another resident named Roger heard 8 to 10 gunshots while having dinner with his family. At first he mistook the sound for firecrackers, but from experience he soon realized it was a gunshot. Roger saw people running and thought the shooting was over, but a few minutes later he witnessed heavy shooting outside his home.
Roger explained that the neighborhood is family-friendly, but he acknowledged that some people have resorted to gun violence out of anger. The Philadelphia shooting occurred on the same day that three people were killed and eight injured at a neighborhood festival in Fort Worth, Texas. Two people were killed and 28 injured at a block party in Baltimore the day before, more than half of the victims were minors.
According to a database maintained by the Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University, the Philadelphia Massacre will be the 29th recorded mass murder in the United States in 2023, the most for the same period. ing.
