Five people have been killed and at least two others were wounded in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia on Monday night, when a gunman dressed in a bullet-proof vest and armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun opened fire.
The mass shooting unfolded at around 8.30pm when Philadelphia police said the 40-year-old suspect left his home and began shooting at victims.
The police initially said that four men were killed but early on Tuesday it was revealed that a fifth victim, a 31-year-old man, had since been found dead inside a home.
Two children – aged two and 13 – were also injured in the shooting but are in stable condition.
Responding officers chased the suspect and arrested him on the scene. As well as the weapons, a police scanner was found.
The identities of both the suspect and the victims have not been released.
While the motive for the massacre remains unknown, Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a press conference that “at this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals”.
A second person was also taken into custody with the police saying they believe the individual returned fire on the shooter.
Key points
-
Four killed in Philadelphia mass shooting as police reveal ages of victims
-
Toddler among the two injured
-
Police arrest heavily armed suspect
No known connection between suspect and victims
10:00 , Rachel Sharp
As it stands, there is currently no known connection between the accused gunman and the victims of the mass shooting.
In a briefing on Monday night, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said that “at this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals”.
She added: “We have absolutely no idea why this happened. … But thank God our officers were here on scene and responded as quickly as they did.”
The gunman opened fire along several blocks in southwestern Philadelphia, shooting four, including four fatally.
What do we know about the suspect
09:33 , Rachel Sharp
A 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out Monday night’s mass shooting which left four dead and two children injured.
The identity of the suspect has not been released and the motive remains unknown.
Police said that he was wearing a bulletproof vest and was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.
He was also carrying a police scanner at the time.
At least four dead as heavily armed gunman opens fire at random on streets
09:05 , Namitha Singh
At least four people were killed in a mass shootout on Monday evening in Philadelphia after a gunman “decided to leave their home and target individuals”, according to the police.
Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference: “At this point, all we know is that this person (the suspect) decided to leave their home and target individuals.”
He had a bulletproof vest, an “AR-type rifle”, multiple magazines, a handgun, and a police scanner, he said.
my colleagues Maroosha Muzaffar has more:
At least four dead as heavily armed gunman opens fire at random in Philadelphia
No immediate connection known between the shooter and victims
09:00 , Namitha Singh
A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia last night, apparently at random, killing four people and wounding two boys in the latest outbreak of gun violence in the United States, police said.
The shootings took place over several city blocks in the southwestern neighborhood of Kingsessing. Responding officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire, and he was arrested in an alley after surrendering, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference.
No connection was immediately known between the victims and the shooter.
“At this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals,” Ms Outlaw said.
He had a bulletproof vest, an “AR-type rifle,” multiple magazines, a handgun and a police scanner, he said.
Officers were flagged down at about 8.30pm and multiple calls of shots fired came in from Kingsessing. Police found some gunshot victims, and as they were attending them, they heard more gunfire, Ms Outlaw said.
The chief said dozens of shell casings were found across an eight block area.
“You can see there are several scenes out here,” Ms Outlaw said. “We’re canvassing the area to get as much as we can, to identify witnesses, to identify where the cameras are located and to do everything to figure out the why,” Ms Outlaw said
Philadelphia mass shooting comes a day after two shots dead and 28 injured
08:55 , Namitha Singh
The Philadelphia mass shooting came a day after two people were shot dead and 28 others injured, about half of them children, in a hail of gunfire at an outdoor neighborhood block party in Baltimore, Maryland.
Police said they were still seeking multiple suspects in that shooting.
Philadelphia mass killing 29th incident in US during 2023
08:50 , Namitha Singh
The Philadelphia incident is the 29th mass killing in the US during 2023, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press and USAToday in partnership with Northeastern University.
So far this year, the nation has witnessed the highest number on record of mass killings and deaths to this point in a single year.
There have been more than 550 mass killing incidents since 2006, according to the database, in which at least 2,900 people have died and at least 2,000 people have been injured.
In pictures: Mass shooting in Philadelphia
08:43 , Namitha Singh
Where did the shooting take place?
08:08 , Namitha Singh
Details of the July Fourth-eve gun violence were sketchy, but the shooting was reported to have erupted in the Kingssing section of southwest Philadelphia, less than a mile (1.5km) from the Schuykill River that flows through Pennsylvania’s most popular city.
WPVI video footage from the scene of the shooting showed several police squad cars parked near an intersection, lights flashing in the darkness, with portions of the street cordoned off with yellow and red crime-scene tape.
Police arrest heavily armed suspect
08:07 , Namitha Singh
Police arrested suspected gunman in the Philadelphia mass-shooting on Monday. Identified as a 40-year-old man, he did not appear to have any connection to the victims, said police commissioner Danielle Outlaw, adding that he had a bullet-proof vest and a police scanner.
There were three guns recovered from the scene, including a rifle and a handgun that belonged to the suspect, he said at the conference.
A second person was also taken into custody in connection with the shooting, she said. It was unknown whether this person was connected with the shooter, but police believe he returned fire at the shooter.
Toddler among the two injured
08:04 , Namitha Singh
Among the two injured is a two-year-old toddler, while the second victim is identified as 13 years old. They were in stable condition, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.
Four killed in Philadelphia mass shooting as police reveal ages of victims
07:54 , Namitha Singh
Four people have been killed in a shooting in Philadelphia, police have confirmed.
The ages of the three dead, all males, ranged between 20 and 59 years old, said police commissioner Danielle Outlaw. The fourth male was believed to be between the ages of 16 to 21.
The identities of the victims have not yet been revealed.
07:39 , Namitha Singh
welcome to The Independent’s live blog for Tuesday 4 July 2023, where we provide the latest on the mass shooting in Philadelphia.