Andre Gordon: Suspect charged after violent rampage spanning two states left 3 dead
FALLS TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Two women and a 13-year-old girl lost their lives Saturday when police say a suspect went on a killing spree that led to a barricade situation, and his eventual capture. That man is now being charged by New Jersey officials.
Andre Gordon Jr., 26, is charged with carjacking, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of an assault firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm without a serial number, receiving stolen property, unlawful possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines, and possession of hollow-point ammunition by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.
"The string of violent acts that took place yesterday, allegedly at the hands of a single armed individual, alarmed and terrorized communities in Bucks and Mercer counties," Platkin said.
The violent rampage began when police responded to reports of a shooting on Viewpoint Lane in Falls Township in Bucks County just before 9 a.m. Sunday. Police say Gordon fatally shot his 52-year-old stepmother Karen Gordon and 13-year-old sister Kera Gordon inside the home, where three other people were hiding.
Investigators believe that Gordon used his rifle to shatter the front glass door, then fired the weapon inside the home through the broken window. In an affidavit, police say numerous shell casings were found inside the home, as well as bullet holes in interior walls and blood throughout the property.
Gordon then fled to a home on Edgewood Lane in a vehicle that investigators say he stole during a robbery earlier that day in Trenton.
The mother of his two children, identified as Taylor Daniel, was on the phone with police when investigators say Gordon shot her to death inside a bedroom. Four other people were inside the home at the time, including Daniel's mother, who investigators say Gordon struck in the head with his rifle.
Gordon again fled the home after the deadly shooting, then carjacked a 44-year-old man who was using an air compressor to fill a tire on his Honda CRV in the parking lot of a Dollar Tree on Bristol Pike. Investigators say Gordon showed the victim his rifle before he got into the car and drove off.
The search for Gordon led SWAT teams to converge on a home in Trenton, where they believed he had barricaded himself. New Jersey officials say 60 police officers from the surrounding area responded to the scene.
Video shows SWAT teams pulling people out of windows amid possible Trenton hostage situation
Falls Township murder suspect Andre Gordon, accused of killing his stepmom, sister and the mother of his two children, may have taken hostages in Trenton. Video shows people being pulled from windows as they try to detain him.
Authorities say they received information that Gordon may have taken multiple people hostage inside. Those residents were taken to safety with no injuries.
Authorities originally believed Gordon may have taken multiple hostages inside the home, but the residents were safely removed from the home as seen in dramatic video captured by SkyFOX. Gordon, meanwhile, managed to escape the home before police arrived.
Investigators say Gordon was found blocks away from the home, and was taken into custody to end the hours-long rampage. An affidavit said Gordon had cut his hair during his time on the run in an effort to elude police.
A motive for the deadly attack is still unknown as Gordon currently remains lodged at the Mercer County Correction Center.
A GoFundMe page has been established to help the family of Taylor Daniel pay for funeral costs.