Philadelphia mass shooting suspect in custody after four killed, two children injured

Four people were killed and four others were wounded in a mass shooting on Monday in southwest Philadelphia, authorities confirmed. 

At around 8:30 p.m., a police officer heard gunfire nearby and found a gunshot victim near South 56th Street and Chester Avenue. 

Soon after, police received several 911 calls reporting a male armed with a rifle that was shooting in the area. Four victims were found in different locations.

They were transported to Penn Presbyterian Hospital. Four other victims took themselves by private vehicle to the same hospital. 

At around 8:40 p.m. police detained a suspect in an alleyway behind the 1600 block of South Frazier Street. The suspect was wearing a ballistic vest and had a rifle and a handgun, as well as additional magazines of ammunition. 

“Horrified by the reports of a shooting in Southwest Philadelphia. My heart is with the loved ones and families of everyone involved, and I send my prayers to the victims,” said Mayor Jim Kenney in a statement. 

“My sincere thanks to @PhillyPolice for their brave response and successful apprehension of a suspect. This devasting [sic] violence must stop. If you have any information about this crime or any other, please report it to PPD by calling or texting 215-686-TIPS,” Kenney tweeted. 

The Philadelphia Police Department has not yet released any details of the suspect of the casualties. The conditions of those wounded are also unknown. 

The shooting comes one day after a shooting at a block party in Baltimore left two dead and 28 others injured. 

"When officers arrived, they found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds. We located one female adult deceased on the scene, 9 additional victims were transported from the location to area hospitals," said Baltimore City Police Commissioner Richard Worley at a news conference on Sunday.

This is a developing story.