Philadelphia shooting

 

More than devastating: 6 dead, 25 wounded in shootings in Philadelphia, Chattanooga Club

PHILADELPHIA - Police were searching for several gunmen Sunday after a rampage on a crowded downtown street that killed three people, injured 11 and wreaked havoc as revelers fled the carnage. 

Hours later, a shooting at a Tennessee nightclub left three people dead and 14 wounded in Chattanooga as gun violence continued relentlessly across the country. One of the deaths involved a person who was hit by a vehicle during a mad scramble after the shooting began just before 3 a.m., Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy said.

In Philadelphia, just before 1 a.m. on Sunday, the police issued a warning on Twitter that rescue workers were responding and "several people were injured. Please avoid the area."

Officers patrolling the popular South Street entertainment district heard the shots and apparently saw several armed men, Philadelphia Police Inspector D. F. Pace said at a briefing. An officer fired at a suspect; it was not immediately clear if the gunman was wounded, Pace said.

"The officer engaged the shooter," Pace said, "and as a result of that brave officer– and again we're unsure if he was hit or not – but the officer was able to get that person to drop his gun and flee."

Two men and a woman were killed and all suffered multiple gunshot wounds, Pace said. Damien Woods, a spokesman for Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, said 10 people had been taken to the hospital. Three had died, one was released and the other six were in stable condition.

No arrests have been made. Two handguns were recovered at the scene, including one with an extended magazine. Extended or heavy-duty magazines carry more bullets.

"Numerous" cartridge cases have been recovered from the area, which is lined with trendy shops, bars and restaurants.

Mayor Jim Kenney called the attack "more than devastating." Updates to the investigation would be released as more information becomes available," he said.

"Once again we are seeing senselessly lost lives and injured in yet another horrific, brazen and despicable act of gun violence," Kenney said. "Until we deal with the availability and easy access to firearms, we will always have a hard fight."

The police asked companies for help to collect surveillance video of the attack.

"There were hundreds of people just enjoying South Street like they do every weekend when this shooting broke out," Pace said. "This investigation is fluid. There are still many unanswered questions."