2 officers shot in Philadelphia suburb standoff; at least 6 missing when fire guts home

EAST LANSDOWNE, Pa. — Two police officers were wounded in a Philadelphia suburb on Wednesday after they responded to reports of a standoff, authorities said.

>> Read more trending news

The officers were shot at a home in the East Lansdowne borough southwest of downtown Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The house later was engulfed in flames, according to The Associated Press.

Home destroyed by fire; at least 6 unaccounted for

Update 7:58 p.m. EST Feb. 7: Police said the fire has destroyed the home where the suspect had been shooting from, WPVI-TV reported.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said several people are have not been accounted for.

“We are aware that there are at least six to eight people are unaccounted for from that family,” he during a news conference, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. “It is our terrible fear that they may be inside that house when it was burned. We are hopeful that that is not true, but we will not know until tomorrow morning.

“It’s going to be a lot of work tomorrow,” Stollsteimer added. “Gruesome work.”

Stollsteimer added that officers from the Upper Darby Police Department were able to drag the two wounded police officers from the blaze, according to the television station.

“It was because of the Upper Darby Police Department who also responded to that call that these officers are alive today, Stollsteimer said during a news conference. “They were dragged out of danger by Upper Darby police officers.”

Original report: One officer was from the East Lansdowne Police Department and the other was from the Lansdowne Police Department, the Inquirer reported. They arrived at the house at about 3:45 p.m. EST amid reports that a resident was firing a gun from a window into the street, according to KYW-TV.

An 11-year-old girl who called 911 allegedly told dispatchers that she had been shot, CNN reported.

The fire was ignited at the home about 15 minutes after officers arrived, WPVI-TV reported. The television station, quoting anonymous sources, said the 11-year-old child was shot inside the home on Lewis Avenue.

The officers, who have not been identified, were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and were in stable condition, according to the Inquirer. One officer was shot in the leg and the other was wounded in the arm, the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office told KYW.

“There was rapid gunfire. I was just sitting on the couch, then I heard, ‘Pop! Pop! Pop!’” one witness, who declined to give his name, told WPVI. “Peeked out to see, then literally 10 seconds later cops were coming out from everywhere in every direction yelling, ‘Active shooter! Close your door.’”

Officials have not said what led to the shooting or what caused the fire, WCAU-TV reported. It is also unclear if the girl who originally called 911 was still inside the residence, according to the Inquirer.

There was also no information about the child’s condition, the AP reported.

© 2024 Cox Media Group