The community is in distress after a horrific incident on Wednesday in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, where eight people, including children, are feared missing after a suspect set fire to a house and was involved in a shootout that left two officers injured. the police .
Jack Stollsteimer, Delaware County District Attorney, expressed deep concern about the possibility of deaths inside the charred remains of the house.
“We fear that there are many people who died inside this house,” Stollsteimer said during a press conference.
“We don't know yet whether or not we can confirm or deny this until we go in and systematically examine the ruins of this house now.”
The chaotic sequence of events began with a response to a distressing call about a possible shooting of an 11-year-old, details that have yet to be verified. When they arrived around 3:45 p.m., officers were immediately confronted by gunfire from an active shooter inside a home, local crossing guard and witness Sharon Johnson recounted to NBC10.
“I was there, and a cop came flying around the corner,” Sharon Johnson said. “He went out and was in front of the house talking to two people. Suddenly I heard six or seven gunshots. The police got to the ground and I ran and took off.”
The officers, both 22-year veterans of the force, suffered gunshot wounds. One for the arm and one for the leg. Margie McCabe, a representative of the Delaware County District Attorney's Office, confirmed that their condition is stable.
While the officers were being rescued, the situation took another dangerous turn when the house caught fire. The fire and the continuing threat from the shooter prevented firefighters from immediately responding to the flames, resulting in a severe standoff that necessitated a large-scale evacuation and the deployment of additional law enforcement and emergency services.
He watches:
Law enforcement and emergency response teams, including a SWAT team, gathered at the scene. By 6 p.m., the fire had been largely extinguished, although the situation remained precarious.
As of Stollsteimer's latest update, given at a news conference at 7:30 p.m., six to eight residents of the burned home, including children, are missing. The search for these individuals is hampered by smoldering property remains.
“We are aware that there are at least six to eight people missing from that family. We are very afraid that they were inside that house when it burned,” Stollsteimer said. “We hope that is not true. But we won't know until tomorrow morning.”
Watch District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer's update:
