PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Three people are dead and at least 12 others are wounded after a mass shooting along South Street Saturday night.
At an afternoon press conference with other high-ranking law enforcement officials, Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said it was around 11:30 p.m. when police heard multiple gunshots near 4th and South streets. Two officers stationed at 2nd Street made their way to 4th and saw several people already shot.
According to Outlaw, one of the officers saw an unknown man firing into the crowd from half a block away. That officer fired several times at the gunman - police believe the gunman was hit. However, he was able to flee.
Two men, ages 22 and 34, and a 25-year-old woman were killed. At least 12 others were injured, ages ranging from 17 to 43.
Authorities believe one of the victims was involved in a physical confrontation with another man that may have sparked the shooting. "These individuals eventually began firing at one another," said Outlaw, "with both being struck, one fatally."
The other two fatalities, along with the other victims are believed to be bystanders and not connected to that altercation.
Officials said there were dozens of multiple bullet casings found along South Street between 2nd and 4th streets. A bloody jacket and a sandal were also collected as evidence.
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"You can imagine there were hundreds of individuals just enjoying South Street as they do every single weekend when is shooting broke out," said Police Inspector DF Pace.
Pace said two semi-automatic handguns were recovered. One of those weapons had an extended magazine. Investigators are in the process of requesting video surveillance footage from area businesses, as well as combing through social media.
Police revealed there were also shots fired nearly 40 minutes earlier, just a block away on 4th and Bainbridge streets. No one was struck. Another shooting on the 500 block of South Broad Street just after 1 a.m. claimed the life of a 20-year-old man. Investigators are unsure if those two incidents are connected to the mass shooting.
Mayor Jim Kenney was not at the press conference, as he was in Reno, Nevada for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In a conversation with KYW Newsradio, he said there was an expanded police presence in the city Saturday night, owing to events including Philly Pride and the Roots Picnic.
"The argument that we need more police is difficult," he said, "because there were police there."
Kenney instead focused on the proliferation of firearms as the main factor behind the tragedy. "[Saturday night's] altercation, if you remove the guns, you have a fistfight, and no one's dead."
He also placed blame on state lawmakers, saying his hands are tied legislatively because of regulations prohibiting Pennsylvania municipalities from passing their own gun laws. "That's why we're in state court right now, trying to get the power to implement some of our own gun regulations," said Kenney.
District Attorney Larry Krasner tweeted a brief statement, calling for a boycott of the National Rifle Association.
When asked about the shooting on Sunday's "Face the Nation," Republican Sen. Pat Toomey gave pointed remarks about the "complex and multifaceted" problem of gun violence.
He indirectly also referenced Krasner, whose term as district attorney has included stopping prosecution of some low-level crimes and asking judges in some instances for lighter sentences.
"In some cases, criminality in our big cities has escalated enormously. There's a lot of factors contributing to that," he said. "In some cases, it's district attorneys who think it's their job to make sure no one goes to jail. Then of course, we have these horrific, sensational massacres, where a young man clearly has just gone off the rails and is deranged."
Kenney also said some perpetrators of violent crime "think there's no consequences to carrying illegal handguns."
Authorities urge anyone with information to call (215) 686-TIPS. There is a $20,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest.
KYW Newsradio's Andre Bennett contributed to this story.
Stay with KYW Newsradio for more as this story develops.
