The mass shooter who killed five people and injured at least two others while wearing a bulletproof vest in Philadelphia Monday night fired their gun randomly at vehicles and pedestrians, police said.
When responding officers heard the gunshots, they reportedly ran after the suspect, who they found in an alley, where they arrested them. The suspect, who has not been identified, uses they/them pronouns, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office told CNN.
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The suspect reportedly faces multiple charges, including murder. The shooting occurred across several city blocks in Kingsessing.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw identified the dead victims as Lashyd Merritt, 20, Dymir Stanton, 29, Ralph Moralis, 59, Daujan Brown, 15, and Joseph Wamah Jr., 31. Wamah was found at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, after the others.
“What happened last night was unimaginably disgusting and horrifying,” Outlaw said Tuesday as the mass shooting put a damper on Independence Day celebrations in the City of Brotherly Love.
In addition to the bulletproof vest, the suspect had an “AR-type rifle,” multiple magazines, a handgun, and a police scanner, Outlaw said, per the Associated Press, which added that the suspect is 40 years old.
Two other victims, ages 2 and 13, were sent to the hospital with several gunshot wounds. A second person was also taken into custody, but police believe they may have returned fire at the suspect in self-defense.
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The shooting came a day after police say at least two suspects shot and killed two people and wounded 28 others on Sunday in Baltimore. Law enforcement is looking for the shooters.
A majority of the victims were teenagers, ranging from ages 13-19. One of the older teenagers, 18-year-old Aaliyah Gonzales, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The other dead victim was 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi, who was pronounced dead at the hospital.
