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At least five people were killed and two minors were injured during a shooting incident in Philadelphia on Monday (July 3) night, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle M. Outlaw said during a news conference via NBC News.
Outlaw identified the two injured victims as boys ages 2 and 13 and noted that they were hospitalized for gunshot wounds to their legs and reported to be in stable condition. Two men were taken into custody in relation to the shooting, according to police.
Local authorities said they suspected the first man arrested was the gunman and the second is believed to have possibly picked up a firearm and returned fire. No charges were filed in relation to the incident at the time of Outlaw's news conference.
The suspected shooter was publicly identified as a 40-year-old man who had a semi-automatic rifle, a ballistic vest, a police scanner and multiple magazines of ammunition at the time of the incident. Outlaw described the rifle as being in the style of an AR-15.
Police are continuing to investigate the alleged shooter's motive in relation to the incident. Police identified the victims killed as Lashyd Merritt, 20; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; Daujan Brown, 15; and Joseph Wamah Jr., 31, all of whom were shot multiple times.
Two other victims, a 33-year-old woman and a 2-year-old boy, were reported to have experienced injuries due to shattered glass during the incident.