3 dead, 11 wounded in shooting in downtown Philadelphia
Philadelphia — Three people were killed and at least 11 others were wounded by gunfire from multiple shooters in a popular downtown Philadelphia entertainment district late Saturday night, authorities said.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Sunday that they believe one of the people who was killed, identified as 34-year-old Gregory Jackson, was "involved in a physical altercation with another male that was, potentially, the genesis of the shooting. These individuals eventually began firing at one another, with both being struck, one fatally."
One of the two others who were killed was identified as Alexis Quinn, 27. The third victim who died has not been identified, but was described as a 22-year-old male.
Outlaw said police believe the other two who were killed, along with "several" of those who were wounded were innocent bystanders.
Police officers were patrolling the area on South Street in downtown Philadelphia around 11:30 p.m. when they heard multiple gunshots, Outlaw said. The officers responding to the scene saw several people suffering from gunshot wounds and one officer saw a suspect firing a handgun into a crowd of people, Outlaw said.
An officer shot at the suspect who was firing into the crowd, and Philadelphia police believe the officer hit the suspect, Outlaw said.
"The unknown male dropped his gun on the sidewalk and ran southbound," Outlaw said, adding that the suspect was then "lost in the area."
The wounded victims' ages ranged from 17 to 69 years old, Outlaw said. A 23-year-old male is in critical condition after being shot multiple times in "the torso area," according to police.
Earlier in the day, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital spokesperson Damien Woods said one person had been discharged.
In addition to the 11 people wounded by gunfire, a 49-year-old female was injured when she was hit with shattered glass, according to a police statement.
Two handguns were recovered, including one with an extended magazine, police said. No arrests have been made.
South Street is known for its entertainment venues and night life with multiple bars, restaurants and businesses. Surveillance video from a local business posted by WTXF-TV showed scores of people milling about on the sidewalks and in the street who then suddenly began to flee en masse as the gunfire began.
Police Inspector D. F. Pace said police expect to be able to gather "a lot of video surveillance footage" from the many businesses along the street later in the day to try to identify suspects.
Mayor Jim Kenney called the shooting "beyond devastating."
"Once again, we see lives senselessly lost and those injured in yet another horrendous, brazen and despicable act of gun violence," he said in a statement Sunday morning. "My heart is with the family, friends, loved ones of those lost or injured, and with everyone impacted by this terrible tragedy. "
Kenney said the surge in gun violence in the city and across the nation "makes me not just heartbroken, but angry." He said, however, fighting it would be "an uphill battle" without measures to address the "availability and ease of access to firearms."
Eric Walsh, closing up the outdoor seating area of a bar along the block, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the scene was "chaos." He said he saw a young woman collapse to the ground on the corner.
"People were coming off the street with blood splatters on white sneakers and skinned knees and skinned elbows," Walsh said. "We literally just were balling up napkins and wetting them and handing them to people."