Four people were killed and two more were injured when a shooter in a bulletproof vest opened fire in Philadelphia on Monday night, according to authorities. At a press conference, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw revealed that all the victims were male and with no connection immediately known between them and the shooter.
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What we know about the suspect:
The shootings happened over a number of city blocks in the Kingsessing neighborhood in the southwest. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said during a news conference that the suspect was chased while he was still shooting and was taken into custody after he surrendered to responding officers.
According to Outlaw, the suspect was caught in an alley without incident. She claimed he had an AR-type rifle, a handgun, a bulletproof vest, numerous magazines, and a police scanner. ”At this point, all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals,” Outlaw said.
At around 8:30 p.m., officers were flagged down after receiving numerous reports of gunfire coming from the Kingsessing. According to Outlaw, as the police were treating several shooting victims they heard additional gunfire.
A 40-year-old man has been identified as the alleged shooter. No other information was immediately available, however, there was one more person in custody. The ages of the deceased men ranged from 20 to 59. Two boys, aged 2 and 13, who were the only hospitalized victims, are presently in stable condition.
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The shooting happened a day after gunshots broke out at a block party over the holiday weekend in Baltimore, approximately 100 miles to the southwest, injuring 28 people and killing two. According to officials, the injured in that shooting ranged in age from 13 to 32, with more than half of them being children.
In 2023, the country will have 29 mass killings, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University. This carnage in Philadelphia is the 29th mass killing to occur in the nation.
