One of the suspected gunmen was among the three killed, Philadelphia police said Monday. One suspect has been charged with a number of crimes, including two counts of aggravated assault, according to Philadelphia County Attorney’s Office Chief Joan Pescator.
An order has been issued for another suspect, who will be charged with attempted murder, assault and falsification of evidence, among other things, Pescator said at a briefing Monday. The suspect remained at the scene to help one of the men, who later died, and provided “all his information to the police” there, Pescator said.
None of them have been charged with murder so far.
Hundreds “just enjoyed South Street, as they do every weekend when this shooting broke out,” Philadelphia Police Inspector DF Pace said.
Police are urging witnesses to appear, offering a $ 20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest.
Gun violence also darkened weekends in Chattanooga, Tennessee – where gunfire and its aftermath resulted in three killed and 14 wounded – and attacks in Sumerton, South Carolina and Phoenix, each leaving one dead and at least seven wounded. These incidents were followed by other mass shootings that stunned the nation, including a supermarket in New York; elementary school in Texas; and a hospital in Oklahoma. At least 246 mass shootings have been reported in America this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which, like CNN, defines mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot without the shooter. In this deadly trail, the US Senate is again preparing this week to discuss how to tackle the problem.
Here’s what we know about the shooting that broke out in Philadelphia’s popular entertainment district:
How the shooting developed
The shooting began after a dispute in the street, according to video surveillance, Pescator said. A fight ensued and one of the men involved, Gregory Jackson, was killed after exchanging shootings with another man, she said. Both had gun licenses.
One of the men allegedly shot at the group and then turned to police, who are now on the scene, Pescator said.
Police returned fire, punching the suspect in the arm. He then fled to another location, where police responded to an earlier shooting by approaching police and shouting, “He shot my arm, he shot my arm,” Pescator said.
He was taken to hospital by police, she said.
The uniformed men patrolling the area, known for its bars, restaurants and shops, heard gunfire shortly after 11:30 p.m. and saw “several active shooters shooting into the crowd,” Pace said.
Officers “observed several civilians suffering gunshot wounds lying on the sidewalk and on the street,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Daniel Outlow told a news conference on Sunday.
Five pistols were fired during the melee, police said, and two pistols were found at the scene. Pace said one of the weapons found by police had an extended magazine.
According to prosecutors, three were 9 mm cannons and one was a .40 caliber.
State and federal authorities are assisting the Philadelphia police in the investigation, Outlaw said.
Who was hit by bullets
The 14 people affected by the shooting ranged in age from 17 to 69.
Police identified the victims as Gregory Jackson, 34; Alexis Quinn, 27; and Christopher Miners, a teacher who celebrated his 22nd birthday with family and friends.
Minners works with 2nd and 6th graders at Girard College, a boarding school that educates students from families with limited financial resources, according to its website.
“He did an amazing job for us” and was elected permanent advisor of the month in March, the school said in a statement. “Chris was a vital member of our community and his loss will be deeply felt.”
One of the 11 injured is in critical condition on Sunday night, the police department said in a press release.
How employees respond
The shooting marks a “dark day for Philadelphia,” the police commissioner said. “While many of us were enjoying a beautiful day in the city, a terrifying and unthinkable action took place in a very popular local and tourist destination.
There was a heightened presence of uniformed officers on the streets of Philadelphia on Saturday, Outlaw said, due to several planned events. There were more officers stationed Sunday night, officials said.
“People don’t have to be afraid,” Outlaw said Sunday. “What happened last night was an atrocity. But this is not something we see all the time. Again, I do not want to normalize this. This is not something that is normal in the city of Philadelphia, and I don’t want anyone to start thinking that it is. “
Curfew was imposed in downtown Philadelphia from 8pm on Sunday to 6am on Monday, the mayor’s office said, citing “models of recent violence in the area and continuing safety concerns”. The order prohibits all movement of pedestrians and vehicles, with the exception of residents, owners and employees of local properties, licensed medical staff, representatives of the media and law enforcement agencies.
“Once again, we see meaningless lives lost and wounded in another horrific, brazen and despised act of gun violence,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenny said Sunday, noting that it left him “not just heartbroken but angry.” .
“I will continue to fight for the protection of our communities and call on others to advocate for stricter laws that keep guns out of the hands of thugs,” he said.
Lawmakers who accept money from the arms lobby should not be in office, DA Krasner said.
“I don’t care if they are Republicans or Democrats. They belong to them. They may have sold their souls to make it the most heavily armed society in the world, but that doesn’t entitle them to stay in office,” Krasner said.
CNN’s Rob Frese, Melanie Schumann, Aya Elamrusi, Andy Rose, Holly Ian, Samantha Beach, Carol Alvarado and Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.
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