Gunman In Bulletproof Vest Kills 5 In Philadelphia Mass Shooting: Report

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Five people were shot dead, and two boys were wounded by a gunman in a bulletproof vest who unleashed an indiscriminate barrage of bullets in the streets of Philadelphia before surrendering on Monday night, Fox 29 reported.

Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw told reporters officers were flagged down at the intersection of 56th and Chester streets where they found people who were shot at around 8:30 p.m., the outlet reported. They were preparing to take the wounded to the hospital when officers heard gunfire near 6th Street and Kingsessing Avenue, Outlaw told the outlet.

The shootings spanned several city blocks in the southwestern neighborhood of Kingsessing, according to the outlet.

At least 50 shots were fired at the scene and multiple vehicles were hit by the spray of bullets, ABC 6 reported.

Officers chased down and cornered the 40-year-old suspect, who has not been named, the outlet reported.

Outlaw told the outlet officers apprehend the man in the rear alley of a location in the 1600 block of Frazier Street, "and when they did, this male was wearing a bulletproof vest with multiple magazines."

"He also had a (police) scanner, an AR-style rifle, and a handgun," he added.

The men who were killed were between the ages of 20 and 59, Fox News reported. The fifth man was not found in a home until hours after the shooting, according to the outlet.

A two-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy were hospitalized in stable condition after the attack, according to The Associated Press.

The gunman's motive is not clear.

"We have absolutely no idea why this happened," Outlaw told Fox News. "At this point, all we know is that this person left their home and decided to target individuals."

The shooting is the U.S.’s 29th mass killing in 2023, which is the highest on record by this time in the year, according to The AP and USA Today's database in partnership with Northeastern University, The AP reported.

The AP contributed reporting to this story.