Authorities say two ladies and a 13-year-old youngster had been killed in two shootings in suburban Philadelphia on Saturday morning. A suspect then fled in a hijacked automotive, prompting officers to cancel a St. Patrick’s Day parade and order residents in a number of neighborhoods to shelter in place for hours.
Police say the suspect, 26-year-old Andre Gordon, then drove to Trenton, New Jersey, the place he barricaded himself in a home with hostages. The Trenton Police Department later mentioned the residents had been efficiently evacuated with no accidents, however the suspect was believed to be hiding in the home.
Officials mentioned Gordon shot and killed his 52-year-old stepmother and 13-year-old sister in a single neighborhood within the Philadelphia suburbs earlier than driving a stolen automotive to close by Bucks County neighborhood, the place he shot and killed a 25-year-old lady who was the mom of his two kids. At the second home he additionally “bludgeoned” the girl’s mom, mentioned Bucks District Attorney Jennifer Schorn.
Other relations current within the first home, together with one other teenager, had been capable of cover from Gordon as he looked for them in the home, Schorn mentioned. Children had been additionally current throughout the taking pictures and assault within the second home, she mentioned. Gordon had forcibly entered each houses, Schorn mentioned.
Less than quarter-hour later, he carjacked a automobile at a Dollar General in Morrisville, however the 44-year-old driver was unhurt, Schorn mentioned. Police mentioned in a launch that the carjacking sufferer didn’t know Gordon.
Bucks County issued a shelter-in-place alert for elements of the county at about 9:30 a.m., with a cellphone recording telling individuals to lock doorways and home windows and shelter in place within the central location of a building, away from the doorways and home windows resulting from police exercise. It was lifted round 12:40 p.m., by authorities.
Falls District Justice John Galloway, who lives in one of many two neighborhoods the place police exercise was centered, mentioned a taking pictures started at about 9:15 a.m.
“I came home from Mass and was getting ready for the parade and I heard something, then I saw cop cars and neighbors came out. One said they heard two shots, another said he heard 10 shots,” Galloway mentioned.
Gordon was believed to be armed with an AR-15-style assault weapon and will produce other weapons, mentioned Falls Township Police Chief Nelson Whitney.
Officials in close by Bristol additionally canceled an Easter Egg hunt and varied different neighborhood occasions across the space gave the impression to be canceled. Oxford Valley Mall was additionally placed on lockdown however later reopened, Middletown Township police mentioned, and different businesses that had closed earlier might determine whether or not to reopen. Sesame Place theme park was nonetheless closed Saturday afternoon, police mentioned.
