Philadelphia mass shooting – live: Fifth victim found dead after gunman, 40, opened fire in Kingsessing

Five people have been killed and at least two others wounded in the Kingsessing neighbourhood of Philadelphia on Monday night, when a gunman dressed in a bullet-proof vest and armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun opened fire.

The mass shooting unfolded at around 8.30pm when Philadelphia police said the 40-year-old suspect left his home and began shooting at victims.

Police initially said that four men were killed but early on Tuesday revealed that a fifth victim, a 31-year-old man, had since been found dead inside a home.

Two children – aged two and 13 – were also injured in the shooting but are in stable condition.

Responding officers chased the suspect and arrested him on the scene. As well as the weapons, a police scanner was found.

The identities of both the suspect and the victims have not been released.

While the motive for the massacre remains unknown, Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a press conference that “at this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals”.

A second person was also taken into custody with police saying they believe the individual returned fire on the shooter.

Key points

• Four killed in Philadelphia mass shooting as police reveal ages of victims

• Toddler among the two injured

• Police arrest heavily armed suspect

No known connection between suspect and victims

10:00 , Rachel Sharp

As it stands, there is currently no known connection between the accused gunman and the victims of the mass shooting.

In a briefing on Monday night, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said that “at this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals”.

She added: “We have absolutely no idea why this happened. … But thank God our officers were here on scene and responded as quickly as they did.”

The gunman opened fire along several blocks in southwestern Philadelphia, shooting four, including four fatally.

What we know about the suspect

09:33 , Rachel Sharp

A 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out Monday night’s mass shooting which left four dead and two children injured.

The identity of the suspect has not been released and the motive remains unknown.

Police said that he was wearing a bulletproof vest and was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.

He was also carrying a police scanner at the time.

At least four dead as heavily armed gunman opens fire at random on streets

09:05 , Namita Singh

At least four people were killed in a mass shootout on Monday evening in Philadelphia after a gunman “decided to leave their home and target individuals”, according to the police.

Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference: “At this point, all we know is that this person (the suspect) decided to leave their home and target individuals.”

He had a bulletproof vest, an “AR-type rifle”, multiple magazines, a handgun, and a police scanner, she said.

My colleague Maroosha Muzaffar has more:

At least four dead as heavily armed gunman opens fire at random in Philadelphia

No immediate connection known between shooter and victims

09:00 , Namita Singh

A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia last night, seemingly at a random, killing four people and wounding two boys in the latest outbreak of gun violence in the United States, police said.

The shootings took place over several city blocks in the southwestern neighbourhood of Kingsessing. Responding officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire, and he was arrested in an alley after surrendering, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference.

No connection was immediately known between the victims and the shooter.

“At this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals,” Ms Outlaw said.

He had a bulletproof vest, an “AR-type rifle,” multiple magazines, a handgun and a police scanner, she said.

Officers were flagged down at about 8.30pm and multiple calls of shots fired came in from Kingsessing. Police found some gunshot victims, and as they were attending to them, they heard more gunfire, Ms Outlaw said.

The chief said dozens of shell casings were found across an eight block area.

“You can see there are several scenes out here,” Ms Outlaw said. “We’re canvassing the area to get as much as we can, to identify witnesses, to identify where cameras are located and to do everything to figure out the why,” Ms Outlaw said

Philadelphia mass shooting comes a day after two shot dead and 28 injured

08:55 , Namita Singh

The Philadelphia mass shooting came a day after two people were shot dead and 28 others injured, about half of them children, in a hail of gunfire at an outdoor neighborhood block party in Baltimore, Maryland.

Police said they were still seeking multiple suspects in that shooting.

Philadelphia mass killing 29th incident in US during 2023

08:50 , Namita Singh

The Philadelphia incident is the 29th mass killing in the US during 2023, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

So far this year, the nation has witnessed the highest number on record of mass killings and deaths to this point in a single year.

There have been more than 550 mass killing incidents since 2006, according to the database, in which at least 2,900 people have died and at least 2,000 people have been injured.

In pictures: Mass shooting in Philadelphia

08:43 , Namita Singh

Where did the shooting take place?

08:08 , Namita Singh

Details of the July Fourth-eve gun violence were sketchy, but the shooting was reported to have erupted in the Kingsessing section of southwest Philadelphia, less than a mile (1.5km) from the Schuykill River that flows through Pennsylvania’s most populous city.

WPVI video footage from the scene of the shooting showed several police squad cars parked near an intersection, lights flashing in the darkness, with portions of the street cordoned off with yellow and red crime-scene tape.

Police arrest heavily armed suspect

08:07 , Namita Singh

Police arrested suspected gunman in the Philadelphia mass-shooting on Monday. Identified as a 40-year-old man, he did not appear to have any connection to the victims, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said, adding that he had a bullet-proof vest and a police scanner.

There were three guns recovered from the scene, including a rifle and a handgun that belonged to the suspect, she said at the conference.

A second person was also taken into custody in connection with the shooting, she said. It was unknown whether this person was connected with the shooter, but police believe he returned fire at the shooter.

Toddler among the two injured

08:04 , Namita Singh

Among the two injured is a two-years-old toddler, while the second victim is identified as 13 years old. They were in stable condition, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.

Four killed in Philadelphia mass shooting as police reveal ages of victims

07:54 , Namita Singh

Four people have been killed in a shooting in Philadelphia, police have confirmed.

The ages of the three dead, all males, ranged between 20 and 59 years old, said police commissioner Danielle Outlaw. The fourth male was believed to be between the ages of 16 to 21.

The identities of the victims have not yet been revealed.

07:39 , Namita Singh

Welcome to The Independent’s live blog for Tuesday 4 July 2023, where we provide the latest on the mass shooting in Philadelphia.