An officer fired his weapon and is believed to have wounded an assailant who was firing into a crowd in a shooting that left three people dead and 11 injured in Philadelphia, officials said Sunday.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said during a news conference that the on-duty shooting was being investigated internally, and the suspect who fired into the crowd eluded capture during the chaotic scene in which several “innocent bystanders” were wounded.
The incident began around 11:30 p.m. Saturday when gunfire rang out on the 400 block of South Street in the city’s nightlife district, where hundreds of people were gathered, Outlaw said.
“Yesterday was a dark day for Philadelphia,” Outlaw said. “We are absolutely devastated, devastated by this incident. And we mourn the lives lost and the dozens and dozens of lives affected by this tragedy.”
Authorities had initially said 13 people were injured, but that figure was revised to 11, Outlaw said, and the wounded ranged from 17- to 69-years-old.
Those killed, who were not identified by name, were two men aged 34 and 22 and a 27-year-old woman.
The shooting may have been sparked by a physical fight between two males, one of whom died in the shooting while the other was wounded, Outlaw said.
After the gunfire erupted, a responding officer saw a gunman firing into the crowd about a half block from where multiple victims were struck, she said.
“The officer drew his weapon and fired several times in the direction of the unknown male, we believe striking him,” Outlaw said.
Outlaw pleaded for witnesses to come forward and tell investigators what they saw and heard. A $20,000 reward was being offered for information that leads to an arrest, Outlaw said.
“It’s important that we bring justice to the victims, their families and our community,” she said.
Inspector D.F. Pace of the Philadelphia Police Department said in a separate media briefing earlier Sunday that investigators had recovered two semi-automatic handguns from the scene “one with an extended magazine.” He added that they had found “multiple casings throughout this area.”
Officials said at least five guns were fired.
“We expect to be able to gather a lot of video surveillance footage,” Pace said. “We look forward to getting a lot more information on the identity of the individuals responsible for the shootings.”
Dennis Romero and Joe Studley contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
