Seven people, including two children, were shot in a mass shooting that took place in a residential neighbourhood of Philadelphia on Monday evening.
Just hours before Fourth of July celebrations were set to take place, police responded to calls of gunfire where they found multiple gunshot victims and approximately 50 shell casings.
Of the people shot, five adults were killed and two children were injured.
Law enforcement with the Philadelphia Police Department apprehended the suspected shooter after pursuing him on foot. Police detained the man who was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, a handgun, a bulletproof vest and multiple magazines.
The shooting marks the 340th mass shooting to occur in the United States this year.
Here’s everything we know about the shooting so far.
What happened?
At approximately 8.30pm local time on Monday, police received reports and multiple calls of gunfire in the neighbourhood of Kingessing.
Upon arriving, officers found multiple gunshot victims but as they were preparing them to go to the hospital more gunshots were fired up the street, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a press conference on Monday night.
Law enforcement officials followed the sound of gunshots on foot through multiple streets in the area.
Eventually, they located the suspected shooter, an adult male, who continued to fire his firearm until officers apprehended him.
When they did, officers found the suspect armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun as well as wearing a bulletproof vest that contained multiple magazines.
Ms Outlaw said the suspected shooter also had a scanner on him.
Police took the suspect into custody “without further incident”.
Over 50 shots had been fired throughout the neighbourhood with seven people shot and five killed.
Later, Philadelphia Police Department took another person into custody for allegedly returning gunfire. Ms Outlaw said police are unsure whether there is any connection is between the second suspect and the primary suspected shooter.
Who are the victims?
Five adult males were killed and two children were injured as a result of the shooting.
The deceased victims’ ages range from 20 to 59 years old. Victims were believed to be either on the street or in their cars at the time of the shooting.
Initially, authorities believed there to be four deceased victims but a fifth was found on Tuesday morning in his home.
The two children injured are a two-year-old and a 13-year-old. Both were in stable condition as of Monday evening.
As of Tuesday morning, police were unsure what the suspected shooter’s motive was and do not believe he had any known connection to any of the victims.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted that he sends his “prayers” to the victims and their families following the shooting.
Who are the suspects?
Philadelphia police have not released the name of either suspect they have taken into custody.
The primary suspected shooter is an adult male who was armed with multiple firearms. As of Tuesday, they said they have “absolutely no idea” why he carried out the shooting.
The other suspect in the mass shooting is believed to have returned gunfire. It is unclear how that person may be connected to the primary suspect or whose gun they shot.