Police said the injured children, ages 2 and 13, are in stable condition.
A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying multiple rounds of ammunition opened fire Monday night in Philadelphia, killing at least five people and wounding two children, authorities said.
Two people have since been arrested: an unnamed 40-year-old man believed to be the alleged shooter, and another unidentified person who investigators believe grabbed a firearm and began shooting at the suspect, according to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle. banned
“The officers responded quickly and showed courage and bravery,” Outlaw told reporters during an evening news conference. “His actions potentially prevented more victims.”
The Philadelphia Police Department initially received reports of shots fired near Chester Street in the city’s Kingsessing neighborhood 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 several gunshot victims, who have not yet been identified, according to police.
Police work at the scene of a mass shooting in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 3, 2023.
Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
Of the five dead victims, at least four are men and three of them are between the ages of 20 and 59, police said.
The two injured victims were hospitalized in stable condition. One is a 2-year-old boy and the other is a 13-year-old boy, according to police.
After arriving at the scene, officers located the suspect and pursued him on foot. The man was eventually arrested in a back alley off Frazier Street, police said.
According to police, the suspect was wearing a bulletproof vest and had an AR-style rifle, a handgun, several magazines and a police scanner. Another rifle was discovered in the alley and is believed to be the gun allegedly used by the second person arrested, who police say had been shooting at the suspect.
Police said the suspect was shooting at random and there was no known connection between him and his victims. The fatal shooting and a possible motive remain under investigation.
Investigators have been canvassing the area for witnesses and surveillance footage.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio and Jason Volack contributed to this story.
