North Philadelphia standoff: Man barricaded with woman, child after shooting 3 people, police say
NORTH PHILADELPHIA - A 26-year-old man is in custody after chaotic and tense scenes unfolded in North Philadelphia late Saturday night into early Sunday morning.
Police say the incident began when they responded to the sounds of gunshots near Lehigh Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
A suspected gunman was reportedly shooting in the direction of people on the street as he ran towards a house on the 2800 block of 22nd Street. Police say they saw people fall to the ground after being struck by gunfire.
A three-hour standoff ensued after the man reportedly barricaded himself inside a three-apartment house, refusing to come out.
The occupants of the second-floor apartment were safely removed from the house. However, police then determined that a woman and 2-year-old child were still inside. The relationship between the suspect, woman and child is unclear.
"This became a situation where we exercised extreme caution, and used as much restraint as we possibly could as we wanted to make sure that no one was injured during this negotiation," said Philadelphia Police Inspector DF Pace.
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SWAT, crisis intervention specialists and family members attempted to negotiate and talk with the suspect. However, police say all attempts failed, leading SWAT members to breach the home around 1 a.m.
"We were able to determine that the male was separated from the woman and child a significant distance, so that we could reach the door and take the male into custody without risking the health and safety of the other two occupants of the house," Pace said.
The 26-year-old suspect was taken into custody without incident, and the woman and child were said to be unharmed.
Police say the shooting and barricade may have stemmed from the man being jumped by three other people Saturday night. He then reportedly started to fire his weapon, striking three innocent bystanders; a man and two women.
A 22-year-old woman was shot in the face, arm and leg, and is said to be in critical condition. The other woman was grazed on the leg, while a 66-year-old man was struck in the arm.
Police also say the gunman appears to be a veteran, and may suffer from PTSD. Charges are reportedly pending.