A bustling entertainment district turned into a scene of carnage when multiple shooters opened fire in the South Street area of Philadelphia, killing at least three people and wounding 11 others, police said.
Officers patrolling the South Street area heard gunfire and observed “several active shooters shooting into the crowd,” said Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference Sunday the shooting started at roughly 11:31 p.m. Saturday.
The officers stationed on South Street “observed several civilians suffering from gunshot wounds, lying on the sidewalk and in the street.” The officers then began rendering first aid to those who were injured, she added.
Outlaw said five guns were used by the shooters after a possible “physical altercation.” One gunman was likely shot and wounded but escaped police, she said; another suspected gunman, who may have been involved in the physical altercation, is likely among the three people killed.
The other two victims are believed to be innocent bystanders, Outlaw said.
Two handguns were recovered at the scene, including one with an extended magazine, according to Pace. No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.
“At this point we don’t know whether or not the altercation that took place was between a group of individuals, or if this was tied to another group or affiliation,” Outlaw said.
One officer who saw a man firing a handgun into a large crowd drew his weapon and “fired several times in the direction of the unknown male, we believe striking him,” Outlaw said. “The unknown male dropped his handgun on the sidewalk, and ran southbound on 600 American Street. The male was then lost in the area.”
The police department said the victims were Gregory Jackson, 34; Alexis Quinn, 27; and a 22-year-old man whose name was not yet being released.
Eleven people suffered gunshot wounds, and one of them was in critical condition Sunday evening, the police department said in a news release. They range in age from 17 to 69.
Outlaw said the investigation is in its early stages and the incident was one of several shootings in the area Saturday evening. It’s not clear yet whether the shootings are connected, she said.
“Yesterday was a dark day for Philadelphia,” Outlaw said. “And while many of us were out enjoying the beautiful day in the city, a horrendous and unthinkable act happened in a very popular local and tourist hangout.”
Police are working with state and federal authorities on the investigation and the FBI is assisting with resources, the commissioner said. Police are offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and have urged any witnesses to come forward.
“Hundreds and hundreds of people were out there last night,” Outlaw said.
The identities of the two men and one woman killed have not been released.
The violence in Philadelphia marked the ninth mass shooting in the US just this weekend, CNN has confirmed. This year, there have been at least 246 mass shootings in the US, according to the non-profit organization Gun Violence Archive.
“The surge in gun violence that we’ve seen across the nation – and here in Philadelphia – makes me not just heartbroken, but angry,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said Sunday.
“Once again, we see lives senselessly lost and those injured in yet another horrendous, brazen and despicable act of gun violence.”
The mayor ordered a curfew in part of downtown Philadelphia from 8 p.m. Sunday until 6 a.m. Monday, citing “patterns of recent violence in the area and ongoing safety concerns,” according to the city’s official Twitter account.
The order bars all pedestrian and vehicular traffic with exceptions only for residents, local property owners and employees, licensed medical personnel, members of the media and law enforcement.
Hundreds of people were in the area
South Street is “known for being a corridor of entertainment” with multiple bars and restaurants, Pace said.
“There were hundreds of individuals just enjoying South Street, as they do every single weekend, when this shooting broke out.”
The motives for the shootings remain unclear.
Police confirmed the presence of officers in uniform was increased Saturday night on Philadelphia’s streets with several scheduled events in the city. They said there will be an even greater presence of officers out Sunday evening, following the shootings Saturday evening.
“People should not be afraid. They should not be afraid. What happened last night was an atrocity. But it’s not something that we see all the time. And again, I don’t want us to normalize this. This is not something that’s normal in the city of Philadelphia and I don’t want anyone to begin to think that it is,” Outlaw said.
There have been at least 239 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. CNN and the archive define a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.
‘We cannot accept continued violence’
The mayor said he’s fed up with senseless gun violence and called for stronger laws to help prevent violent people from getting guns.
“We cannot accept continued violence as a way of life in our country. Until we address the availability and ease of access to firearms, we will always be fighting an uphill battle,” said Kenney.
“I will continue to fight to protect our communities and urge others to advocate for stronger laws that keep guns out of the hands of violent individuals.”
The Philadelphia shooting follows back-to-back high-profile shootings, including those at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York; an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas; and a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Early Sunday in Chattanooga, Tennessee, three people were killed and at least 14 others were injured in a shooting at a nightclub just before 2:45 a.m., according to local police.
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly expressed frustration Sunday, telling reporters, “I’m tired of standing in front of you talking about guns and bodies.”
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner called for boycotting National Rifle Association donations and lobbyists.
After the “terrible crimes last night on South Street tell our Pennsylvania legislators it’s time for real action,” Krasner tweeted Sunday.
“Boycott NRA lobbyists, boycott NRA donations, and bring real common sense gun regulation to Pennsylvania. Now.”
Correction: A previous photo incorrectly identified bullet holes in a Philadelphia South Street storefront window as from the incident on June 4. The photo has been replaced.
CNN’s Kiely Westhoff contributed to this report.
