After arriving on the scene, officers located the suspect and gave chase on foot.
Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images
Four people were killed and two children, ages 2 and 13, injured in a mass shooting in the Kingsessing section of southwest Philadelphia. The suspect is in custodythe police said.
According to official information, the shooting occurred around 8:30 pm in the Kingsessing neighborhood of the city. A 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old were injured and in stable condition, Philadelphia Police Department Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said overnight.
Three of the murdered victims were 20, 22 and 59 years old. The age of the fourth victim is unknown, but she could be anywhere from 16 to 21, Outlaw said. All the victims were men, he said.
The suspect, described as a 40-year-old man.was wearing a bulletproof vest and was carrying an AR-style rifle, a handgun and a police scanner, Outlaw said.
The suspect was taken into custody “without further incident” after police officers chasing him while shooting caught up with him and cornered him in an alley.
Police initially reported a total of eight shooting victims, but Outlaw said the final number was six.
A second person believed to have returned fire at the lead shooter was also taken into custody.and a gun belonging to that individual was taken into evidence, Outlaw said.
The suspect was allegedly armed with an “AR-style” rifle and a handgun, Outlaw said. He was also wearing a ballistic vest and extra ammunition clips and a police scanner.
The shooting scene spanned an area of several blocks and included approximately 50 spent bullet casings, Outlaw said. Several vehicles were hit by bullets.
Within minutes, police found and transported multiple victims to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. The rest of the victims arrived in a private vehicle at the same hospital.
After the incident, Mayor Jim Kenney said, “Horrified by reports of a shooting in Southwest Philadelphia. My heart goes out to the loved ones and families of all involved, and I send my prayers to the victims.”
“My sincerest thanks to @PhillyPolice for their courageous response and the successful apprehension of a suspect. This devastating violence must stop. If you have any information about this crime or any other, please report it to PPD by calling or texting 215-686-TIPS,” Kenney said.
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