A shooter armed with two weapons and wearing a bulletproof vest killed four men and wounded a toddler and a teenage boy in a shooting in Philadelphia Monday night, police said. .
The ordeal began around 8:30 p.m. on 56th Street and Chester Street, when police officers raised flags after receiving reports of shootings in the area.
Officers on the scene found multiple gunshot victims. Investigators said they heard more gunshots on nearby 56th Street and Kingsessing Street as they prepared to transport the victim to a hospital. After officers found multiple shell casings at the location, more gunshots were heard along the 1800 block of Frazier Street nearby.
Officers later found the suspected shooter and chased him on foot, police said. Investigators said the man fired several shots during the chase, and police eventually cornered him in an alleyway along 1600 blocks of Frazier Street.
Police then detained the man without incident. Investigators said the suspect was wearing a bulletproof vest containing several magazines. He also had a scanner, an AR-style rifle and a handgun, according to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Daniel Outlaw.
Investigators have not released the identity of the suspect. Outlaws described him as a 40-year-old black man. Police also said a second person believed to have picked up a gun and opened fire on the 40-year-old shooter was also taken into custody. A total of three weapons were recovered in connection with the shooting.
Police said four men were killed and a 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy were injured in the shooting. Three of the men were aged 20, 22 and 59. Police have not specified the age of the fourth murdered victim, but believe they were between the ages of 16 and 21.
The condition of the infant and teenage boy is stable.
The shooting scene spanned multiple blocks.
“It’s roughly a 2-by-4 block radius and consists of about 50 spent cartridges,” Outlaw said. “Several vehicles were also hit with gunfire.”
Investigators have not yet determined the motive for the shooting, nor do they know if the suspect is related to any of the victims.
“As you can see, there are several scenes here,” Outlaw said. “We are searching the area to get as much as we can. To identify witnesses. Please do everything you can to clarify. ”
This story is in development. Please check the latest information.
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/gunman-shoots-multiple-people-including-child-in-philly-police-say/3597629/ Gunman in bulletproof vest kills 4 men, injures 2 children in Philadelphia shooting, police say – NBC10 Philadelphia