Community Recounts Harrowing Experience As Barrage Of Gunfire Shook Nicetown-Tioga Neighborhood During Police Standoff With Gunman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Residents in Nicetown-Tioga are recounting the harrowing experience they lived through as a barrage of gunfire shook their neighborhood Wednesday. Detectives are still gathering evidence from a shootout on the 3700 block of North 15th Street that left six Philadelphia police officers shot hours after the suspected gunman, 36-year-old Maurice Hill, surrendered to police.
"It was really scary," an onlooker said.
On Thursday morning, a doughnut shop owner and her employee had to wait to enter the store because of road closures from the investigation.
They recorded cell phone video yesterday as they were stuck inside on lock down.
"We was inside the shop when everything happened and when we heard the gunshot, we just closed the gate down and stayed in," employee Saovada Nuone said.
Daryl Gaither rushed over to check on his brother who is on dialysis and lives across the street from the shooter and above a daycare center.
"For him to have bullets fly around his house and underneath the casement of his window, then to find out he heard gun shots… of course he was terrified," Curtis Daryl Gaither said.
Streets remained blocked off as police towed cars riddled with bullets away as evidence.
.@phillypolice tow 1 of many vehicles struck by bullets during police shoot out on 3700 block of North 15th Street, 6 officers shot, all expected to survive, suspect in custody @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/lF58kyKc5a
— Chantee Lans (@ChanteeLans) August 15, 2019
"It's all kinds of SEPTA routes that's blocked off right now, you know what I mean, it's a big inconvenience for everybody right now," a neighbor said.
Eyewitness News cameras were rolling as confused commuters walked above ground at the Erie Avenue and Broad Street subway stop.
HAPPENING NOW..
— Chantee Lans (@ChanteeLans) August 15, 2019
Confused commuters exit @SEPTA Broad Street line subway station on Erie Ave near where shootout left 6 @PhillyPolice officers shot; suspected gunman in custody; streets and bus stop remains closed off during investigation @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/gW0GXpGl8r
Many had to figure out another spot to catch their bus.
"I'm trying to get to work and I gotta figure out how I'm gonna get there now," said SEPTA rider Steven Torres.
Neighbors are grateful the officers are okay and the nearly eight-hour standoff ended peacefully.
"I'm glad that they were able to find a way for him to surrender peacefully without it going left because we don't need no lives being lost," a neighbor added.
Erie Avenue has since reopened.
CBS3 reporter Chantee Lans contributed to this report.