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A shooting in downtown Philadelphia has left three people dead and 11 others injured. As per Philadelphia Police, when emergency personnel reached the area near the intersection of Third and South streets, there were "several active shooters."
The street is filled with several bars and restaurants with many people enjoying their time, given that it was the weekend. South Street is also known for being one of Philadelphia's most popular entertainment districts.
Speaking at a news conference, police inspector D.F. Pace stated that cops heard multiple gunshots while patrolling the area on South Street. They also witnessed several suspects firing into a large crowd just before midnight.
Philadelphia shooting horror leaves citizens in shock
A lot of chaos was caused due to the attack. An officer even shot at one of the suspects from a distance of about 30 feet away. However, it was not clear whether the bullet hit the suspect. But the person did drop a gun and escape from the scene, Inspector D.F. Pace said.
The officer was "within 10 to 15 yards of the shooter, watching this person shoot into the crowd" when he decided to engage, Pace said. Upon searching the area, officers were also able to recover two handguns, including one with an extended magazine.
Seven victims were shifted to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. Among them, one was announced dead on arrival and four others were in stable condition, the hospital reported. Meanwhile, the remaining victims were admitted to other hospitals in Philadelphia. The three deaths were due to multiple gunshot wounds, Pace added.
The search for the gunmen continued on Sunday morning and apparently one of the shooters was last seen running south on American Street between 2nd and 3rd streets. Pace also stated that police would be reviewing surveillance cameras as part of their investigation.
The South Street area of Philadelphia is always filled with lots of people for its entertainment venues, night life with multiple bars, restaurants and businesses. Given the gravity of the situation, the police department issued an advisory on their Twitter handle asking people to avoid the area.
Pace said:
"I want to emphasize that South Street is manned by numerous police officers. This is a standard deployment for Friday and Saturday nights - weekends - and especially during the summer months."
In just a matter of a few days, yet another shooting incident occurred in America. The fact that nothing is being done to curb these attacks is causing massive outrage. Following the hysteria caused by the recent shootings, President Biden has also delivered a message on gun violence in the wake of mass shootings in other parts of the country like Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization, stated that nearly 240 mass shootings have taken place in the country so far, which is defined when four or more people are killed or injured.
