A Memorial Day celebration turned into tragedy when two people were shot dead and several others wounded in a Pennsylvania park.
Just before 10.30pm Monday evening, multiple rounds of ‘rapid’ gunfire erupted on Lemon Hill Drive in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, Philadelphia police said.
When the firearm erupted during the holiday celebrations, a total of 11 people were struck, including three teenagers – aged 15, 16 and 17 – and an unnamed man and woman, who were killed in the shooting.
An additional victim was taken to the hospital after being hit by a car in the chaos that followed, according to CBS News.
‘This is significant,’ Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said at a media briefing on Tuesday.
‘It’s Memorial Day – a day where we honor those who gave their lives in war,’ he added.
‘So we understand the significance of this event and we will make sure to provide an update later today.’
The victims were taken to several hospitals, including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Temple University Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center, according to CBS News.
A Memorial Day celebration turned into tragedy when two people were shot dead and several others wounded at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday evening
When the gunfire erupted during the holiday celebrations, a total of 11 people were struck, including three teenagers – aged 15, 16 and 17 – and an unnamed man and woman, who were killed in the shooting (pictured: things left behind at Fairmount Park after shooting)
An additional victim was taken to the hospital after being hit by a car in the chaos that followed (pictured: shoes left behind at the crime scene in Fairmount Park on Monday)
All of the individuals who were wounded are reportedly in stable condition.
At this time, no arrests have been made and no weapons have been recovered. It remains unclear how the incident started and how many shooters were involved.
‘We expect that we’ll start to pick up a lot of information… as the day unfolds,’ he said, as reported by The Independent.
However, Bethel clarified that officials believe the weapon used in the devastating tragedy may have been modified with a switch, enabling a semi-automatic Glock pistol to fire like a machine gun, resulting in ‘rapid’ gunfire.
‘Glock switches’ are becoming increasingly common in shooting investigations across the city, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told CBS News.
These parts are often easy to install, difficult to detect, and in some cases, can even be produced using a 3D printer.
According to Bethel, lighting in the area was also inadequate at the time of the shooting.
At around 10.27pm Monday evening, a large crowd at Fairmount Park – gathered to wrap up the long holiday weekend – reported hearing gunshots.
‘They were packing up as this incident unfolded,’ Bethel explained.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel (pictured) clarified that officials believe the weapon used in the devastating tragedy may have been modified with a switch, enabling a semi-automatic Glock pistol to fire like a machine gun, resulting in ‘rapid’ gunfire
At this time, no arrests have been made and no weapons have been recovered. It remains unclear how the incident started and how many shooters were involved (pictured: at least a dozen police cars respond to Fairmount Park on Monday)
According to Bethel, lighting in the area was also inadequate at the time of the shooting (pictured: aftermath of Fairmount Park shooting)
Fairmount Park spans roughly 2,000 acres in northern Philadelphia, according to Visit Philadelphia.
Bethel noted that the area is typically popular, even outside of holidays like Memorial Day.
‘It’s not uncommon for us to have large groups of individuals surge into the park,’ Bethel stated.
‘We deal with those on a regular basis,’ he added.