At least five people were killed and another two injured when a heavily armed gunman wearing body armor opened fire in a Philadelphia neighborhood Monday night, according to police and multiple reports.
The two individuals wounded in the shooting were minors aged 13 and two, Outlaw said late Monday night. Both were taken to the hospital and were listed in stable condition as of Tuesday morning, according to NBC News.
Here at the sprawling scene of a shooting that left four people dead, ranging in age from 20 to 59, and two juveniles injured and in stable condition. Commissioner Danielle Outlaw spoke minutes ago. @PhillyInquirer pic.twitter.com/iI62DKGWDB
— Rodrigo Torrejón (@rodrigotorrejon) July 4, 2023
Police believe they have detained the gunman, NBC reported. Though he has not yet been identified to the public by name, Outlaw described him as a 40-year-old male.
Officers were responding to an initial round of gunfire on 56th and Chester Streets when they heard more gunshots up the street at Kingsessing Avenue, Outlaw said. On Kingsessing, officers heard more gunshots on Frazier Street in the same area. At that point they engaged in an on-foot pursuit of the suspect who was shooting during the chase, according to Outlaw.
“Our officers were able to apprehend the male in the rear alley of 1600 Frasier Street, and when they did this male was wearing a bulletproof vest with multiple magazines in the vest. He also had a scanner and an AR-style rifle and a handgun underneath his body. He was taken into custody without further incident,” Outlaw continued.
The shootout, which took place over a “two-by-four block radius,” saw multiple vehicles punctured by gunfire. Police found about 50 used shell casings from the spree, NBC reported.
The five deceased victim’s ages range from 20 years old to 59, according to the outlet. Police believe all of the victims were male, Outlaw said. (RELATED: Dem Candidate For Philadelphia Mayor Calls For ‘Restoring’ The Police Department)
Police are still trying to determine motive, doing everything they can to “figure out the why,” Outlaw added. “At this point, we don’t see a connection to any of the victims and the shooter,” she said, according to NBC. An additional suspect who may have picked up a firearm and returned fire was also taken into police custody.
One of the reported dead, a 31-year-old man, was found deceased in a nearby home by his father, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told NBC Philadelphia. Police believe his death was related to the spree because the casings found in his home matched the ballistics of earlier shootings, according to the outlet.