Philadelphia shooting – live: Kingsessing suspect denied bail on murder charges as past gun offence revealed

The person accused of killing five people in a mass shooting in the Kingsessing neighbourhood of Philadelphia on Monday was charged with five counts of murder, among other charges, during a preliminary arraignment on Wednesday.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced on Tuesday that the 40-year-old accused shooter, identified as Kimbrady Carriker, is facing charges of murder, aggravated assault and weapons offences.

The shooting unfolded at around 8.30pm on Monday when the suspected assailant, dressed in a bullet-proof vest and ski mask and armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, “wreaked havoc, firing with a rifle at their victims seemingly at random.”

Five people were killed in the attack: Lashyd Merritt, 22; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, and Daujan Brown, 15.

Two children – aged two and 13 – were also injured by gunfire but are in stable condition. The two-year-old’s twin and a 33-year-old woman were also injured via broken glass.

On Tuesday, following a deadly few days, President Joe Biden called on Republican lawmakers to “come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reform” on gun control.

Key points

• Suspected shooter to appear in court today for arraignment

• Five victims identified, including 15-year-old

• Shooting suspect was armed with bulletproof vest and two firearms

• Philly mayor says suspect had a ‘stockpile’ of firearms.

• Victim was due to walk daughter down aisle days after shooting

Kimbrady Carriker posted ‘disturbing messages’ online before Fourth of July attack

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The Philadelphia gunman charged with killing five people over the Fourth of July weekend left “disturbing messages” on social media before carrying out one of several US mass shootings that marred the holiday break, authorities said on Wednesday.

The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, appeared on Wednesday in Philadelphia County Municipal Court for arraignment on five counts of murder and other charges related to the Monday evening rampage, which appeared to be random.

Investigators said they have yet to determine a motive for the shooting. Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal said at a briefing on Wednesday that authorities were focusing on “disturbing” posts found on the suspect’s social media accounts.

She did not reveal the substance of those posts, nor what was written in a will for the suspect dated 23 June that investigators also discovered. Later when asked by a reporter, officials declined to comment.

Sheriff Bilal urged the public to alert authorities if they see extreme posts on social media.

“That is on all of us, not sit in silence when we see these type of posters that are threatening to harm us, harm our communities, harm our children,” she said.

Victim was due to walk his daughter down the aisle at her upcoming wedding

09:00 , Ariana Baio

A Philadelphia father was supposed to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding just days after he was killed in Monday’s horror mass shooting.

Ralph Moralis, 59, was one of the five victims killed on the eve of July 4 when a shooter dressed in a ski mask and bullet-proof vest stalked the streets of the Kingsessing neighbourhood gunning down victims.

Moralis’ former partner Tamika Veney described the 59-year-old as a family man who was looking forward to his eldest daughter’s wedding this weekend and was going to walk her down the aisle at the nuptials.

Suspected gunman identified

08:00 , Ariana Baio

America’s mass shooting crisis, in numbers: More than halfway through 2023, US on pace for record-setting year

07:00 , Ariana Baio

The US has recorded at least one mass act of gun violence every day, underscored by a chaotic July 4 holiday

Alex Woodward reports:

America’s mass shooting crisis, in numbers

The victims of the Philadelphia mass shooting

06:00 , Ariana Baio

Ralph Moralis, 59, was supposed to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding just days after he was killed in Monday’s mass shooting.

Lashyd Merritt, 22, had just stepped out of his house to go to the local store for food when he was gunned down by the suspect.

Daujan Brown, 15, was killed in the mass shooting while trying to help his friend who had also been shot.

Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, is believed to have been the first victim killed by the shooter in Monday night’s attack – but it was several hours before his body was found.

Dymir Stanton was 29 years old and lived on Frazier Street, where the shooter carried out their rampage.

America marks July 4 – with a string of mass shootings

05:00 , Ariana Baio

Over the course of the long holiday weekend from Friday evening through to Wednesday morning, the US endured at least 16 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA).

The shootings spanned all corners of the nation, from Texas to Washington DC to Illinois and beyond, leaving at least 15 people dead and another 94 injured.

The weekend of shootings came on the one-year anniversary of the horrific mass shooting where a gunman killed seven people at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois.

President Joe Biden responded to the latest round of gun violence by once again calling on Congress to take action with common-sense gun control reform.

ICYMI: Watch Philadelphia DA hold a news conference after five died in shooting

04:00 , Ariana Baio

Watch live: Philadelphia DA gives update after mass shooting

Grandmother of Philadelphia mass shooting suspect Kimbrady Carriker says he was ‘hurting’

03:00 , Ariana Baio

Kimbrady Carriker used to visit his elderly grandmother at her home in Philadelphia every week to help her with grocery shopping and getting her computer tablet to work.

But the visits stopped suddenly about a month ago, she told The Independent in an interview on Wednesday.

“That was unusual,” the grandmother, who identified her surname as Carriker but asked that her first name be withheld, said.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out, what happened for him to snap like that. What happened?” she told The Independent. “Nobody’s going to get up out of the blue and kill people. You have to have something going wrong in your life.”

When she first heard about the shooting, Carriker’s grandmother said it reminded her of the first person shooter video games that he used to play for hours on end.

She told The Independent that she had never known of Carriker being in trouble with police, and hadn’t been aware he had been charged with gun offences in 2003.

Carriker was a very creative person, who was good with computers and graphic design, she said.

Who is Philadelphia mass shooting suspect?

02:00 , Ariana Baio

The masked and heavily armed suspect accused of killing five people in a mass shooting in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia has been identified as a 40-year-old with a history of gun offences.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner named Kimbrady Carriker on Wednesday as the shooter who sowed chaos and fear into the neighbourhood during the July 4 break, when residents should have been celebrating the holidays.

Dressed in body armour and a ski mask and armed with an AR-15-style rifle and 9mm handgun, Carriker allegedly opened fire in the neighbourhood on Monday night, killing four men and a 15-year-old boy.

Officers responded to the scene when Carriker was still allegedly firing shots, before taking the suspect into custody.

The DA said that the shooting was “premeditated” but that the victims were targeted at “random”.

Suspected shooter’s social media pages showed his affinity for firearms

01:00 , Ariana Baio

The suspected shooter, accused of killing five people and injuring two others, often posted on his social media pages about firearms.

Kimbrady Carriker, 40, posted on social media promoting his Second Amendment rights and shared pro-gun rhetoric, according to CNN.

The suspected gunman also praised former president Donald Trump while mocking President Joe Biden. He accused Mr Biden of trying to revoke his access to firearms.

In photos: the aftermath of the Philadelphia shooting

Thursday 6 July 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio

Marjorie Taylor Greene leads far-right voices falsely claiming Philadelphia shooter is trans

Wednesday 5 July 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio

After a devastating mass shooting left five people dead in Philadelphia, misinformation about the suspected shooter ran rampant on Twitter with politicians like Georgia Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene claiming the assailant was transgender.

“Another trans shooter,” Ms Greene tweeted on Tuesday with a link to an article from the right-wing website The Post Millennial.

The article used a photo from a now-deleted Facebook page that belonged to the suspected shooter, who was identified as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, wearing feminine clothing.

Ms Greene’s tweet claiming the suspect was trans received over 800k views and sparked a slew of anti-transgender rhetoric from Twitter users accusing trans people of conducting mass shootings and targeting children.

However, in a press conference on Wednesday, officials confirmed that Mr Carriker is not transgender and identifies as male.

“The suspect has not identified themselves as trans,” Asa Khalif said. “They have only identified themselves as male”

In an interview with The Independent, Mr Carriker’s grandmother said her grandson was gay and sometimes enjoyed cross-dressing but had not undergone any gender transition surgery or treatment.

The Independent reached out to Ms Greene’s office for comment.

Watch: Philadelphia mass shooting suspect in custody

Wednesday 5 July 2023 22:30 , Ariana Baio

Twin sister of Philadelphia mass shooting victim says he was ‘gorgeous inside and out’

Wednesday 5 July 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

The twin sister of mass shooting victim Joseph Wamah Jr said the suspected gunman who rampaged through the streets of Philadelphia on Monday night killing five people had “taken an angel away”.

“The fact that you did this to us for your own agenda, for your own reason, is really pissing me off,” Josephine Wamah, 31, said at a press conference on Wednesday, speaking directly to murder-accused Kimbrady Carriker.

“Why did you have to do this to us?”

Bevan Hurley reports:

Twin sister of Philadelphia shooting victim says he was ‘gorgeous inside and out’

What we know about Philadelphia shooting victim Dymir Stanton

Wednesday 5 July 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio

Dymir Stanton was 29 years old and lived on Frazier Street, where the shooter carried out their rampage on Monday night.

He died after being shot in the chest and back.

John Fetterman says shooting makes him ‘incredibly angry'

Wednesday 5 July 2023 21:09 , Ariana Baio

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman said his “heart breaks” for the people of Philadelphia and the victims of the shooting that left five people, including a teenager, dead.

“My heart breaks for the people of Philadelphia, most of all for the victims of this senseless shooting and their families,” Mr Fetterman tweeted.

“It makes me incredibly angry that over Fourth of July there was another mass shooting in our great Commonwealth.”

Sheriff encourages people to raise flags on concerning social media posts

Wednesday 5 July 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio

During a press conference on Wednesday, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal asked the Philadelphia community to contact authorities when they see concerning posts on social media that could indicate someone is prepared to conduct an act of violence.

“We can’t afford to stay silent,” Ms Bilal said. “They are letting people know what they are about to do and that is on all of us to not sit silent when you see this type of posts that is threatening to harm us.”

Ms Bilal did not say specifically which posts were found on the suspected shooter’s social media profile that indicated he was going to conduct a shooting.

What we know about Philadelphia shooting victim Joseph Wamah Jr

Wednesday 5 July 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, is believed to have been the first victim killed by the shooter in Monday night’s attack – but it was several hours before his body was found.

When officers responded to the scene at around 8.30pm, they initially found four victims in the streets and took the shooter – who was still “actively shooting” into custody.

At around 12.30am, Wamah’s father returned to his son’s home to check on him and found his body on the living room floor.

Police said he had been shot multiple times in the face and the torso.

A school friend paid tribute to him on social media, writing: “Wow Man R.I.P Joseph Wamah one of my best friends from middle school everytime I seen you we talk about our Duckery Basketball days you was really a good dude.”

Suspected shooter did not identify as transgender

Wednesday 5 July 2023 19:15 , Ariana Baio

During a press conference on Wednesday, officials in Philadelphia confirmed that the suspected shooter does not identify as transgender despite right-wing individuals claiming he did and using it to attack trans people online.

“The suspect, the shooter, has not identified themselves as trans. They have only identified themselves as male,” Asa Khalif said.

Mr Khalif went on to condemn those using photos of the suspected shooter, Kimbrady Carriker, dressed in feminine clothing to assume their gender identity and attack other trans people.

“The language spewed out by the conservative press is violent and dangerous and it’s targetting trans women of color.”

Mr Khalif added: “I am sure [Carriker] will be punished to the fullest extent of the law but we will not allow trans women, and trans women in particularly trans women of color be the scapegoat for bigots.”

Pinterest account bearing suspect’s name shows interest in bulletproof vests

Wednesday 5 July 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

A Pinterest account bearing a photo of the suspected shooter in the Philadelphia shooting as well as their name shows the creator saved a Pinterest board that includes a bulletproof vest and a “how to make a bulletproof vest” pin.

Kimbrady Carriker, 40, is accused of killing five people while carrying out a mass shooting in Philadelphia on Monday.

While Carriker’s former Facebook page has been taken down, the suspected shooter may have other social media profiles, including Pinterest.

The Pinterest board, titled “tactical” was created at least five years ago but includes pins of a bulletproof vest and how to create one yourself.

Carriker was found armed with an AR-15-style rifle, a handgun as well as a bulletproof vest with magazines in it.

Exclusive: Grandmother of Philadelphia mass shooting suspect says he was ‘hurting’

Wednesday 5 July 2023 18:45 , Ariana Baio

Kimbrady Carriker used to visit his elderly grandmother at her home in Philadelphia every week to help her with grocery shopping and getting her computer tablet to work.

But the visits stopped suddenly about a month ago, she told The Independent in an interview on Wednesday.

“That was unusual,” the grandmother, who identified her surname as Carriker but asked that her first name be withheld, said.

In the days since her grandson’s alleged shooting rampage left five dead and at least two wounded in the Philadelphia neighbourhood of Kingsessing on Monday night, Ms Carriker said she had been searching for answers about what triggered him.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out, what happened for him to snap like that. What happened?” she told The Independent.

Bevan Hurley reports:

Philadelphia shooting suspect Kimbrady Carriker’s grandmother says he was ‘hurting’

What we know about Philadelphia shooting victim Daujan Brown

Wednesday 5 July 2023 18:30 , Ariana Baio

Daujan Brown was the youngest person killed in the mass shooting while trying to help his friend who had also been shot.

His heartbroken mother Nashaya Thomas told NBC Philadelphia that the 15-year-old boy was walking to the store when the shooting broke out.

His friend, aged 13, was shot twice in the legs.

When Daujan tried to help him, he was also shot – and killed. His friend survived.

“He lost his life trying to do a selfless act, and that’s how he was when he was here.” said Ms Thomas.

“There was no way you could meet Daujan, have a conversation with him and not fall in love with him.”

Watch live: DA Larry Krasner holds a news conference after five die in Philadelphia shooting

Wednesday 5 July 2023 18:04 , Ariana Baio

Live: DA Larry Krasner holds a news conference after five die in Philadelphia shooting

America marks July 4 – with a string of mass shootings

Wednesday 5 July 2023 18:00 , Ariana Baio

Over the course of the long holiday weekend from Friday evening through to Wednesday morning, the US endured at least 16 mass shootings

Rachel Sharp reports:

America marks July 4 – with a string of mass shootings

What we know about Philadelphia shooting victim Ralph Moralis

Wednesday 5 July 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio

Ralph Moralis, 59, was supposed to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding just days after he was killed in Monday’s mass shooting.

Moralis’ former partner Tamika Veney described the 59-year-old as a family man who was looking forward to his eldest daughter’s wedding this weekend and was going to walk her down the aisle at the nuptials.

Instead, his family has now been left to plan his funeral.

“He did well by his family. He was a regular dude, a good person. He’s really going to be missed,” she told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Citywide prayer vigil to occur tonight

Wednesday 5 July 2023 17:00 , Ariana Baio

A prayer vigil for the victims of the mass shooting that occurred on Monday will be held for the city of Philadelphia on Wednesday, July 5th at 7pm EDT.

“For the victims and families in southwest Philadelphia,” the flyer from Salt and Light in Philadelphia read.

The event is open to the public.

What we know about Philadelphia shooting victim Lashyd Merritt

Wednesday 5 July 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio

Lashyd Merritt, 22, had just stepped out of his house to go to the local store for food when he was gunned down by the suspect on Monday night.

“He was just going to the store to get his dinner for the night,” Merritt’s cousin Nikki Merritt told NBC News, saying that he was fatally shot just steps from his door.

“He lived three or four doors down from where he was found. He grew up here.”

Merritt grew up in the neighbourhood as the youngest of five children, attending West Philadelphia’s Overbrook High School before starting work at the IRS as a service representative.

Who is Philadelphia mass shooting suspect

Wednesday 5 July 2023 16:00 , Ariana Baio

The masked and heavily-armed suspect accused of killing five people in a mass shooting in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia has been identified as a 40-year-old with a history of gun offences.

Rachel Sharp and Graeme Massie report:

Who is Philadelphia mass shooting suspect Kimbrady Carriker?

Suspected shooter charged with five counts of murder

Wednesday 5 July 2023 15:54 , Ariana Baio

The suspected shooter in the Philadelphia mass shooting was charged with five counts of murder among other charges during a preliminary arraignment on Wednesday.

The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, was charged with 11 total charges including attempted murder, reckless endangerment, aggravated assault and carrying a firearm without a license.

The suspected shooter is accused of carrying out the shooting by “aimlessly” firing in a neighbourhood in Philadelphia. Five people, including a 15-year-old, were killed and two children were injured.

Carriker is being held without bail for the murders.

Suspect identified as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker

Wednesday 5 July 2023 15:07 , Ariana Baio

The suspected shooter accused of killing five people and injuring several more during a mass shooting on Monday is awaiting arraignment set for Wednesday, according to police.

The Philadelphia district attorney’s office identified the suspected shooter as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, according to CNN.

Carriker is believed to have carried out the shooting with a “ghost gun” that “may have been obtained illegally,” district attorney Larry Krasner told CNN.

Carriker also had a gun conviction back in 2003.

“Yet here we are looking at, you know, five people dead as a result of a mass shooting rampage, where [Carriker] was well-armed and had another firearm back at [their] residence,” Mr Krasner added.

Mother of victim says her son was ‘a good kid'

Wednesday 5 July 2023 14:40 , Ariana Baio

Marie Merritt called her 22-year-old son, Lashyd Merritt who died in a mass shooting on Monday “so young and bright”.

“All the stuff that goes on in Philadelphia. He wasn’t a part of that. The violence, he wasn’t part of that,” Ms Merritt told local news outlet 6ABC.

Ms Merritt said her son was taking a snack break from work when the gunfire erupted. Lashyd, who works from home, would go out to the corner store to grab a snack, then return.

Lashyd was the youngest of five siblings.

“I don’t understand why people just - whatever anger they have within themselves - I don’t understand why someone in the neighborhood would have that type of stuff, like guns - I don’t understand that. And you’re just taking good people away,” Ms Merritt said.

WATCH: Victim’s family says he was killed when he left his home to go to store

Wednesday 5 July 2023 14:10 , Rachel Sharp

Over in the nation’s capital: Nine victims injured in drive-by shooting in Washington DC

Wednesday 5 July 2023 13:10 , Rachel Sharp

Nine people, including two children, have been injured in a “targeted” drive-by shooting in Washington DC while the nation’s capital was celebrating the July 4 holiday.

The DC Metropolitan Police Department said that residents were enjoying Independence Day festivities on Meade Street in the northeast area of the city when someone in a dark SUV drove opened fire on them at around 1am ET.

Assistant Chief Leslie Parsons said in an early morning press conference that the dark-coloured SUV was driving through the area when it suddenly “stopped and it fired shots in the direction of some of our residents that were outside, just celebrating the fourth of July”.

Read the full story:

Nine injured in drive-by shooting in Washington DC

America’s gun violence in numbers

Wednesday 5 July 2023 12:50 , Rachel Sharp

So far in 2023, 340 mass shootings have taken place across America, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

This means this year is on track to record 679 mass shootings – the highest number since 2014.

This would also be a 61 percent increase from the 417 recorded in 2019, the year before Covid-19 ravaged the nation.

Philadelphia father was supposed to walk daughter down aisle days after he was killed in mass shooting

Wednesday 5 July 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

A Philadelphia father was supposed to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding just days after he was killed in Monday’s horror mass shooting.

Ralph Moralis, 59, was one of the five victims killed on the eve of July 4 when a shooter dressed in a ski mask and bullet-proof vest stalked the streets of the Kingsessing neighbourhood gunning down victims.

Moralis’ former partner Tamika Veney described the 59-year-old as a family man who was looking forward to his eldest daughter’s wedding this weekend and was going to walk her down the aisle at the nuptials.

Read the full story here:

Philadelphia shooting victim Ralph Moralis was about to walk daughter down aisle

WATCH: Vigils held for victims of Philadelphia mass shooting

Wednesday 5 July 2023 12:10 , Rachel Sharp

Suspected shooter fired “aimlessly”

Wednesday 5 July 2023 11:50 , Ariana Baio

The suspected shooter who killed five people and injured two other children during a mass shooting on Monday evening, shot “aimlessly”, according to police.

Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw called the incident “abhorrent” and “horrifying” as she described the chaotic scene that police were called to when shots were fired.

Commanding officer of the homicide unit Ernest Ransom said that the suspected shooter was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun as well as body armour, magazines and a ski mask when they began shooting at random.

Seven people were shot as they were going about their evening.

“None of the victims engaged the suspect or were aware,” Mr Ransom said.

Five adults dead and two children wounded: What we know about mass shooting in Philadelphia

Wednesday 5 July 2023 11:30 , Ariana Baio

Seven people, including two children, were shot in a mass shooting that took place in a residential neighbourhood of Philadelphia on Monday evening.

Just hours before Fourth of July celebrations were set to take place, police responded to calls of gunfire where they found multiple gunshot victims and approximately 50 shell casings.

The Independent reports:

What we know about mass shooting in Philadelphia

Police release second suspect

Wednesday 5 July 2023 11:10 , Ariana Baio

Police said the second person who was brought into custody after the deadly shooting on Monday has been released.

Authorities in the Philadelphia Police Department detained a second individual who they said returned fire after a shooter aimlessly shot around the Kingsessing neighbourhood killing five people and injuring two.

But after some preliminary investigation, law enforcement said that the second person was released after they determined they did not unlawfully use a gun to protect themself from the shooting.

Gunfire was erupting as police tended to victims

Wednesday 5 July 2023 10:50 , Gunfire was erupting as police tended to victims

Philadelphia police said that the suspected shooter was still firing ammunition when officers responded to the scene where multiple people were injured.

“When officers responded they did identify and find some gunshot victims as they were scooping up the victims and preparing them for transport to the hospital, they also heard multiple gunshots,” Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a press conference on Monday.

Officers tended to the victims to try and rush them to the hospital while pursuing the suspect on foot.

Eventually, police chased the possible suspect and found them in an alleyway where they were apprehended.

Philadelphia father killed in mass shooting was supposed to walk daughter down aisle at wedding days later

Wednesday 5 July 2023 10:30 , Rachel Sharp

A Philadelphia father who was killed in Monday’s horror mass shooting was supposed to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding in a matter of days.

Ralph Moralis, 59, was one of the five victims killed on the eve of July 4 when a shooter dressed in a ski mask and bullet-proof vest stalked the streets of the Kingsessing neighbourhood gunning down victims.

Moralis’ former partner Tamika Veney said that the 59-year-old was a family man who was looking forward to his eldest daughter’s wedding this weekend.

Instead, his family will now be left to plan his funeral.

“He did well by his family. He was a regular dude, a good person. He’s really going to be missed,” she told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Suspected shooter to appear in court today for arraignment

Wednesday 5 July 2023 09:48 , Rachel Sharp

The suspect accused of killing five victims in a mass shooting in the Kingsessing neighbourhood of Philadelphia on the eve of July 4 is set to appear in court on Wednesday to be arraigned on murder charge.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced on Tuesday that the 40-year-old accused shooter is facing charges of murder, aggravated assault and weapons offences.

Authorities are yet to publicly name the shooter.

Who are the five victims?

Wednesday 5 July 2023 09:00 , Ariana Baio

Police in Philadelphia identified the five people who were shot and killed in a mass shooting on Monday.

All five victims were men ranging in age from 15 years old to 59 years old. The victims are Lashyd Merritt, 20, Dymir Stanton, 29, Ralph Moralis, 59, Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, and Daujan Brown, 15.

In addition, two children were injured as a result of gunfire. Police did not identify them immediately.

Philadelphia mayor calls on US to ‘re-examine its conscience’

Wednesday 5 July 2023 08:00 , Ariana Baio

Roughly 1 in 20 Americans own an AR-15 rifle as firearm’s popularity explodes despite role in mass killings

Wednesday 5 July 2023 07:00 , Ariana Baio

About one in 20 US adults – roughly 16 million Americans – own at least one AR-15-style rifle, according to polling from Ipsos and The Washington Post, which traced the explosion of the popular firearm from its military use into one of the nation’s most popular and deadliest weapons. One of the firearms carried by the Nashville suspect was an AR-style rifle, according to police.

Alex Woodward reports:

Roughly 1 in 20 Americans own an AR-15 as firearm’s popularity explodes

Suspect in custody but not charged

Wednesday 5 July 2023 06:00 , Ariana Baio

During a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, authorities in Philadelphia said the suspected shooter responsible for the mass shooting that left five dead and seven injured was in custody but had been charged yet.

Commanding officer of the Philadelphia Police Department’s homicide unit Ernest Ransom said charges would be “forthcoming”. These charges could include first-degree murder, firearm-related charges and aggravated assault.

Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw assured the community that they are “confident” they have the individual responsible in custody and there is “no reason to believe there are additional suspects.”

340 mass shootings to date this year

Wednesday 5 July 2023 05:00 , Ariana Baio

The Gun Violence Archive, an online database that tracks the number of mass shootings per month and per year has logged 340 mass shootings in the United States this year.

Including the recent Philadelphia shooting, there have been five mass shootings in July – only four days into the month.

President Biden calls on Congress to enact ‘meaningful reforms'

Wednesday 5 July 2023 04:00 , Ariana Baio

ICYMI: 5 dead, 2 injured as suspect taken into custody after police pursuit

Wednesday 5 July 2023 03:00 , Ariana Baio

Philadelphia DA calls out lack of gun control in Pennsylvania

Wednesday 5 July 2023 02:00 , Ariana Baio

Larry Krasner, the district attorney of Philadelphia, gave an impassioned speech about gun control in the state of Pennsylvania during a press conference on Tuesday.

“It is disgusting, the lack of proper gun legislation that we have in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Mr Krasner said.

“It is time for everybody in our legislature, including the ones who would like to walk around with an AR-15 lapel pin in this time, for every one of them to face the voters.”

First victim believed to have been found hours after shooting

Wednesday 5 July 2023 01:00 , Ariana Baio

In a press conference on Tuesday, law enforcement in the Philadelphia Police Department said the first victim of the mass shooting that took place on Monday is believed to have been an adult male who was not discovered until Tuesday morning.

Though the man was the final victim to have been discovered deceased, authorities believe bullets entered his home as the suspected gunman began firing rounds.

In photos: The aftermath of the devastating shooting

Wednesday 5 July 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio