PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A gunman wearing a body armor opened fire Monday evening in Philadelphia, killing four people and injuring two others, police said.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a press conference that all of the victims were men.
The suspect was arrested in an alley without incident, Outlaw said. He had a bulletproof vest, multiple magazines, an “AR-type rifle,” a handgun and a police scanner, she said.
“At this point, all we know is that this individual decided to leave their home and target individuals,” Outlaw said.
The shooting occurred a day after gunfire erupted over a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore, about 100 miles to the southwest, which killed two people and injured 28 others. Those injured in that shooting ranged in age from 13 to 32, more than half of whom were minors, officials said.
The violence in Philadelphia marks the 29th mass murder in the country in 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in association with Northeastern University.
So far this year, the nation has witnessed its highest number of recorded mass killings and deaths in a single year to date.
According to the database, there have been more than 550 mass murder incidents since 2006, killing at least 2,900 people and injuring at least 2,000 people.