Tragic events unfolded in Pennsylvania as between 6 and 8 members of the same family are missing and feared dead following a devastating house fire. The incident occurred amidst a violent gunfight on Wednesday, during which two police officers sustained injuries, according to authorities.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer expressed his sorrow at a news conference Wednesday night, stating, “I will say with a heavy heart that we are afraid there might be more than one person in that house. We know that the victim’s family had a lot of people living in that house, including children.”
He continued, “We are aware that there are at least six to eight people who are unaccounted for from that family. It is our terrible fear that they may be inside that house when it was burned.”
Confirmation of casualties will only be possible once investigators can access the property, which continued to smolder overnight, Stollsteimer added.
Images from the scene depict the near-total destruction of the house, with only its external walls remaining. Although the exact time of the fire’s outbreak remains unclear, officials reported that firefighters struggled to contain the blaze due to the ongoing active shooter situation.
Stollsteimer revealed, “Officers were taking gunfire… Police officers and the fire department who were out there, there were still shots coming out at the beginning of this fire scene.”
The series of events began with a report of an 11-year-old girl being shot on Lewis Avenue in East Lansdowne, west of Philadelphia, at 3:47 p.m. It remains unknown whether the girl or the gunman were present in the house at the time of the fire.
Upon arriving at the scene, two officers — one from East Lansdown Police and one from Lansdown Police — were both shot by an individual inside the house. They swiftly returned fire. Both officers were then rescued by Upper Darby Police Department officers, using ballistic shields for cover, as gunfire persisted. The male officers, who have not been identified yet, are currently recuperating in a local hospital from non-life-threatening injuries.
Sharon Johnson, a witness to the police response, recounted the harrowing scene, describing the chaos as gunshots rang out. She emphasized the crucial role played by the Upper Darby Police Department in ensuring the safety of the injured officers.