A Philadelphia mass shooting resulted in the death of three people and the injury of 11 others on Saturday night, with authorities saying there were "several active shooters" amid rising gun violence in the U.S. continues to soar in recent weeks.
Police officers were patrolling South Street, a lively area that had many restaurants and bars when they "observed several active shooters shooting into the crowd." The incident was announced by Inspector D.F. Pace of the Philadelphia Police Department at a news conference on Sunday.
Philadelphia Mass Shooting
One of the law enforcement personnel was said to have fired his gun at one of the shooters but it was unclear whether or not the suspect was hit. There were 14 victims who were taken to hospitals after the shooting, Pace said, adding that two men and a woman were pronounced dead upon arrival.
The fatalities were later identified to be Kristopher Minners, Alexis Quinn, and Gregory "Japan" Jackson, said State Sen. Vincent J. Hughes. Out of the 10 patients taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, three died, three were in stable condition, and the remaining four had been discharged, said Damien Woods, a spokesman for the hospital, as per the New York Times.
Pace noted that there were roughly hundreds of individuals simply enjoying their time in South Street, similar to what they do every single weekend when the shooting happened. The official said that the investigation was still ongoing and noted that the police were going to review surveillance footage in order to identify the gunmen.
Authorities recovered at least two guns from the scene, one with an extended magazine, with Pace adding that numerous shell casings littered the surrounding area. In a statement on Sunday, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and called for more firearm restrictions.
According to CNN, he said that the United States cannot accept continued violence as a way of life. He noted that until the country addresses the availability and ease of access to firearms, people will always be fighting an uphill battle.
A Surge of Gun Violence
Kenney said that authorities will continue to protect their communities and urge others to advocate for stronger laws that would keep guns out of the hands of violent individuals. On the other hand, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner called for boycotting National Rifle Association donations and lobbyists.
On Sunday, Krasner tweeted that after terrible crimes on South Street the night before, it was time for Pennsylvania legislators to make real action. He urged for the bringing of real common-sense gun regulation to Pennsylvania.
Surveillance footage of the area during the incident showed people on a crowded street running in panic. The situation comes as a shooting broke out in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as people were otherwise enjoying a simple Saturday night.
In another shooting in the early hours of Sunday in Saginaw, Michigan, three people were killed, said Saginaw police. In the Chattanooga shooting, three people were shot dead and 14 were injured. Authorities added that two people died from gunshot wounds and one person died from injuries after being struck by a vehicle while trying to flee the scene, Reuters reported.
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