Philadelphia police are investigating a mass shooting on Mon., Jul. 3, leaving five individuals dead, including a teenage boy, and two children wounded.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw provided details of the incident, stating that law enforcement responded to gunfire in the area and eventually cornered the suspect in an alleyway. The 40-year-old suspect wore a bulletproof vest and carried an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.
While the motive remains unknown, Outlaw added, “at this point, all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals”.
Before the investigation got started, President Joe Biden expressed his grief for the lives lost and his hopes for a future free from gun violence in a statement issued on Tue., Jul. 4. He called on Republican lawmakers to come to the table and support measures such as banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, implementing safe storage requirements, ending gun manufacturers immunity from liability, and enacting universal background checks.
One suspect wanted in connection with the shooting is 40-year-old Kimbrady Watson Carriker, a transgendered person, who was taken into custody on the same evening. Meanwhile, legacy media claims a person returned gunfire at the primary shooter, leading to their apprehension.
Carriker’s Facebook profile revealed posts expressing support for the Black Lives Matter movement and following the Black Lives Matter Philly Facebook page. Additionally, Carriker’s Facebook activity included posts discussing the presence of evil spirits and an evaluation of an anti-violence grant program in Philadelphia.
It remains unclear by the non-committal language used by the police and the media if the 40-year-old shooter is Carriker or someone else.
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