3 dead after double murder-suicide in Philadelphia's West Oak Lane neighborhood, police say
A couple in their 70s is dead after a double murder-suicide in Philadelphia's West Oak Lane neighborhood on Wednesday, Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
Small said a neighbor fatally shot the couple in the 7300 block of Walnut Lane just after 4 p.m. The suspected shooter, a man likely in his 50s, died by suicide.
Small said the couple and shooter lived directly next to each other and shared steps that led to each of their homes.
The couple — a 77-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman — had just returned from shopping at the grocery store before the shooting, Small said.
The 77-year-old man was shot in the chest and head, according to Small. He was found at the top of the steps of their homes alongside the suspected shooter with gunshot wounds. Both were pronounced dead at the scene at 4:15 p.m, Small said.
The 76-year-old woman was found at the scene shot and taken to Einstein Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 4:13 p.m., Small said.
Small said homicide detectives are talking to several people who witnessed the shooting. He added that there have been several verbal disputes between the couple and the shooter, but the nature of the disputes remains unclear.
"This is definitely a very tragic incident, especially for the neighbors," Small said.
Small said a semiautomatic handgun was found at the scene on Walnut Lane, along with several bags of groceries. Nobody else was in either home during the shooting, according to Small.
Neighbors were shocked by the shooting.
Daeshanae Diego was emotional as she remembered to the moment she watched her neighbor shoot and kill a couple in their 70s and then die by suicide.
"I watched the whole thing from my bedroom window," Diego said.
Diego said she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She ran over to help the woman who looked to be the only one alive at the time.
"I could see the lady still breathing, so I ran over to put pressure on the wound and I took off my shirt and I bent down and put pressure on it," Diego said. "I was trying to keep her awake, trying to out pressure on the wound, just trying to do anything."