Philadelphia: Five Killed, Two Injured as Gunman Opens Fire

Facts

• Five people, all male, were killed in Southwest Philadelphia on the eve of the US July 4 holiday after a gunman opened fire at random shortly before 8:30 pm [local time] on Monday.¹
• Additionally, two children — aged two and 13 — are being treated for serious multiple gunshot wounds to the legs, while a 33-year-old and another two-year-old were injured from exploding glass at the scene.²
• The suspected assailant, a 40-year-old unnamed man wearing a bullet-proof vest, surrendered in an alleyway about ten minutes later after being chased and cornered by police officers.³
• Officers recovered a rifle, a handgun, and additional magazines of ammunition in the back alley behind the 1600 block of South Frazier St., where the suspect was taken into custody.⁴
• Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw revealed in a press conference that a second person who is believed to have fired back at the shooter, for currently unknown motives, is also in custody.⁵
• According to the Gun Violence Archive, this deadly incident is among at least 345 mass shootings that took place in the US so far this year, including a shooting in Fort Worth, Texas, that killed three people on Monday night.⁶

Sources: ¹Inquirer, ²FOX News, ³BBC News, ⁴The Epoch Times, ⁵Forbes, and ⁶CNN.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Guardian. While gun violence has become endemic in the US, this problem is even more serious in the period around the Fourth of July. Barbecues, block parties, and parades to mark Independence Day are all too often turned into bloodbaths as gunfire erupts from trivial arguments. This has happened as the gun laws are loosened and "concealed carry" is allowed without a permit or any training.
• Right narrative, as provided by Broad + Liberty. While tragic incidents such as this shooting may intensify calls for more gun control legislation in Philadelphia, it's crucial to realize that existing laws could be enough to tackle gun violence had the City's District Attorney not instructed his office not to pursue violators on claims that arresting people for illegal gun possession wouldn't reduce shootings. Proper enforcement of law and order is the issue here.

Predictions