What to Know
- Authorities say at least six people are unaccounted for after two police officers were wounded by gunfire at a home in suburban Philadelphia that was soon after set on fire and consumed by the flames.
- Officials in Delaware County say officers were called to the house in East Lansdowne on Wednesday afternoon on a report that a child had been wounded by gunfire. One officer was shot in the arm, another in the leg.
- Intense flames were seen consuming the three-story home, which was largely gutted.
Editor's Note (Feb. 8, 2024, 10:34 a.m.): This story is no longer being updated. For breaking details on the investigation and "recovery" efforts Thursday, click here.
At least six people, including children, are unaccounted for, following a house fire and shooting that wounded two police officers in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, officials said.
“Our fear is there may be multiple people inside that home who have died," Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said. "We don’t know yet whether or not we can confirm or deny that until we get inside and methodically go through the debris that that house is now.”
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Two officers shot responding to child being shot at home
The ordeal began at 3:47 p.m. when an East Lansdowne Police Officer and a Lansdowne Police Officer responded to a report of an 11-year-old girl being shot on Lewis Avenue in East Lansdowne.
When the officers arrived at the scene, a gunman inside a home immediately opened fire, police said.
"I was there, a cop came flying around the corner," Sharon Johnson, a crossing guard who witnessed the shooting, told NBC10. "He got out and then he's in front of the house talking to two people. And then all of a sudden I heard six or seven gunshots. Cops got down on the ground and I ran and took off."
Both police officers were shot once. Responding Upper Darby police officers dragged both of the wounded officers to safety as the gunman continued to fire, investigators said.
"It was because of the Upper Darby Police Department who also responded to that call that these officers are alive today," Stollsteimer said. "They were dragged out of danger by Upper Darby police officers."
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt said his officers got one of the injured officers into a patrol car and drove him to Penn Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia. Other Upper Darby officers dragged the second injured officer to an ambulance, which took him to Penn Presbyterian.
"Our uniformed patrol responded and saw two officers and they advised our officers that they had been shot," Bernhardt said. "Our officers, numerous officers, responded, got ballistic shields and were able to go onto that street, drag those officers out."
Both officers were listed in stable condition. They are both 22-year veterans and expected to recover, according to Stollsteimer.
House erupts in flames amid active shooter situation
During the chaos, the house the gunman was inside caught fire, investigators said. Officials believe it was intentionally set by someone inside the home. Firefighters were unable to initially fight the rising flames due to the active shooter situation.
"Officers were taking gunfire," Stollsteimer said. "Police officers and the fire department who were out there, there was still shots coming out at the beginning of this fire scene."
The entire block was evacuated as more police, firefighters and a SWAT team arrived at the scene. Cellphone video showed officers crouched down behind a car as the fire raged on.
“All the cops was coming with guns, rifles out,” neighbor Veronica Carrington said. “I said, ‘close the door, leave it closed.’”
When will crews be able to enter the home?
The gunfire eventually stopped and by 6 p.m. the fire was mostly under control though there was still smoke. During an early evening news conference, Stollsteimer said they were unsure if the gunman was still inside the house.
"We're not going to make entry into that house until we know that the fire is under control and that it's safe for those officers to go in there," Stollsteimer said. "We don't want another single officer hurt tonight in Delaware County."
During another news conference shortly after 7:30 p.m., Stollsteimer revealed six to eight people live inside the home where the fire took place and were unaccounted for.
Stollsteimer wouldn't identify the missing residents, but said they include children. He also said they wouldn't be able to check inside the home until Thursday morning due to the fire still not being completely out.
“We’re aware that there are at least six to eight people who are unaccounted for from that family. It is our terrible fear that they may have been inside that house when it was burned," Stollsteimer said. "We are hopeful that that is not true. But we will not know until tomorrow morning.”
Officials also said they're still unsure if the initial report of an 11-year-old girl being shot was accurate.
