Five people dead, two children injured in mass shooting in Philadelphia, police say
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on July 4, 2023
(PHILADELPHIA) — A gunman clad in a bulletproof vest and carrying multiple rounds of ammunition opened fire in Philadelphia late Monday, killing at least five people and wounding two children, authorities said.
Two people have since been taken into custody: a 40-year-old unnamed man who is alleged to be the suspected shooter, and another unidentified person who investigators believe picked up a firearm and started shooting at the suspect, according to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.
“Officers responded quickly and showed bravery and courage,” Outlaw told reporters during a late-night press conference. “Their actions prevented potentially more victims.”
The Philadelphia Police Department initially received reports of gunfire near Chester Street in the city’s Kingsessing neighborhood at around 8:56 p.m. ET. Gunshots were heard in several areas near the first location during the shooting, police said.
Officers responded to the area behind Chester Street and found multiple gunshot victims, who have not yet been identified, according to police.
Of the five deceased victims, at least four are male and three of them are between the ages of 20 and 59 years old, police said.
The two wounded victims were hospitalized in stable condition. One is a 2-year-old boy and the other a 13-year-old boy, according to police.
After arriving on the scene, officers located the suspect and pursued him on foot. The man was ultimately apprehended at a rear alley of Frazier Street, police said.
The suspect was wearing a bulletproof vest and had an AR-style rifle, a handgun, multiple magazines and a police scanner, according to police. Another rifle was discovered in the alleyway and is believed to be the gun that was allegedly used by the second person apprehended, who police said had been firing at the suspect.
Police said the suspect was firing randomly and that there was no known connection between him and his victims. The deadly shooting and a potential motive remains under investigation.
Investigators have been canvassing the area for witnesses and surveillance footage.
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