Jamiesfeast – According to local authorities, a Pennsylvania home was engulfed in a massive fire during a shooting incident, leaving at least six people missing. Additionally, two police officers were injured in the incident.
At approximately 3:50 p.m. on Wednesday, authorities received a distress call regarding an 11-year-old girl who had been shot at a residence on Lewis Avenue in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. As law enforcement arrived at the scene, an individual within the house began firing their weapon, according to statements made by Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer during an evening press conference.
During the news conference streamed online by local station WCAU, the district attorney revealed that the two officers have both been shot once and are currently in stable condition. Unfortunately, due to active shooter protocol followed by the presence of a fire, authorities have been unable to enter the residence. As a result, there is a concern that there may be multiple victims inside the home at the time it caught fire.
“We are afraid there might be more than one person in that house,” Stollsteimer said. “We know the victim’s family had a lot of people living in that house, including children. We are 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.”
The district attorney expressed optimism, stating, “We are hopeful that this is not true. However, we will only be able to confirm this tomorrow morning.”
According to Stollsteimer, he cannot verify the identities of the individuals involved. However, he did mention that among the unaccounted for are children.
“We will not enter the house until we are certain that the fire is under control and it is safe for our officers,” Stollsteimer emphasized during a previous press briefing. “Our utmost priority is to prevent any further harm to our officers in Delaware County.”
Amidst the turmoil, law enforcement officers from three distinct agencies swiftly arrived at the location and were promptly confronted with gunfire, according to Stollsteimer. He further revealed that the two officers who sustained gunshot wounds were safely pulled out of harm’s way by their fellow officers.
According to the district attorney, the house where the shooter was located eventually caught fire, preventing firefighters from extinguishing the blaze due to the ongoing bullet assault.
According to Stollsteimer, gunfire was directed at the officers. He stated, “Police officers and the fire department personnel present at the scene were still being shot at when the fire started.”
According to local reports, the entire block in the vicinity of the residence was cleared out as emergency personnel, including a SWAT team, as well as additional police and firefighters, made their way to the location.
According to Stollsteimer, the gunfire stopped at an unclear time. However, the blaze was brought under control and was still smoldering on Wednesday night.
The district attorney expressed uncertainty about whether the shooter remained inside the house or if the initial report of an 11-year-old girl being shot was accurate.
“We are uncertain about the individuals present in the house, the identity of the shooter remains unknown, and we have no information regarding the number of people inside or their well-being,” Stollsteimer stated.
Crews will not have more information until they enter the home on Thursday morning, he added.