What we know about the deadly mass shooting on South Street

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A mass shooting caused chaos Saturday night when people began firing near 3rd and South Street, at the heart of the commercial corridor that has for decades been a popular weekend destination.

Patrons at nearby establishments, like O’Neals Pub and Theater of the Living Arts, described pandemonium and people bleeding in the streets. Fourteen people were shot and three of them died. Multiple people were firing into a crowd, Philadelphia Police Inspector D. F. Pace said at a press briefing early Sunday morning.

Tattooed Mom, a longstanding bar on the 500 block of South Street, offered via social media to help people in the vicinty find resources and support.

Gun violence is tragically common in Philadelphia right now. The city has already seen eight other mass shootings this year, according to Gun Violence Archive, which defines them as incidents with four or more victims.

Last night’s was the deadliest this year, and the largest recorded in the city in nearly a decade. It appears to have involved at least one semi-automatic weapon with an extended magazine, which makes it easier to fire multiple rounds without reloading.

Overall, Philadelphia has recorded at least 926 shootings this year so far, a pace that exceeds last year’s record violence. At least 188 of them were fatal, according to the Office of the City Controller, which maintains a map of the incidents.

Mayor Jim Kenney on Sunday morning called the events “devastating” and urged anyone with information to call 215-686-TIPS. The mayor’s statement was posted on social media and emailed to press; Kenney is currently out of town attending two conferences.

The Headhouse Farmers Market, a block from the shooting, is still happening as planned, according to Food Trust spokesperson Carolyn Huckabay.

Here’s what we know about what happened on South Street.

When did the mass shooting happen?

Shots broke out shortly before midnight, per PPD Inspector Pace. Social media reports put the time around 11:30 p.m.

There were multiple police officers in the vicinity at the time, according to officials.

“I want to emphasize that South Street is manned by numerous police officers,” Pace said, according to NBC10. “This is standard deployment for Friday and Saturday night — weekends — and especially during the summer months.”

How many people were shot? How many killed?

In the primary incident, at least 14 people were shot, with three people killed. All of the victims had multiple bullet wounds. Two of the people who died were men and one was a woman, according to The Washington Post .

It’s still unclear how bad each of the other 11 people were injured. Seven were taken to nearby Jefferson Hospital, according to The Inquirer.

There was more than one incident?

Police responded to yet another shooting near Broad Street about two blocks above of South, according to The Inquirer, which reports police found a victim unconscious on the 1300 block of Waverly Street and were worried about taking them to Jefferson, as it was already overloaded with victims of the mass shooting.

A shooting earlier this week near 4th and South, a block away, injured one person, according to NBC10. Police found nearly 50 bullets spanning several blocks, according to PHL17.

Where did the mass shooting happen?

The area around 3rd and South streets appeared to be the primary center of the chaos, with shell casings found up and down the 200 and 300 blocks of South, according to 6ABC.

That intersection is in the busiest part of the commercial corridor. On one corner, the space formerly home to the Three Stooges-themed Jon’s Bar and Grille is still vacant, but there are bars up and down the blocks nearby.

A staffer at O’Neals Pub, just south of the intersection, described the situation to The Inquirer as “chaos.” People attending a show at the Theater of Living Arts between 3rd and 4th streets heard the shots ring out around 11:30 p.m., the paper reported.

Who were the perpetrators? Was anyone arrested?

No arrests have yet been made, and as of Sunday morning, there are no reports of any shooters being captured.

One of the shooters dropped their gun and fled when a police officer began shooting at them during the active situation, according to Police Inspector Pace, who briefed media early Sunday morning.

It’s not clear if that perpetrator was hit — or if there were other bystanders in the vicinity of what was reportedly a crowded street.

The person being fired at dropped a weapon and fled, leaving behind a gun police say had an extended magazine. It was one of two semi-automatic handguns recovered from the scene, according to the PPD.

What is an extended magazine?

Also called a high-capacity magazine or large-capacity magazine, the attachment can be added to weapons to allow them to fire more rounds before reloading. It’s usually defined as holding more than 10 or 15 bullets.

At least nine states ban these large-capacity magazines, including Pennsylvania neighbors New Jersey, New York, and Maryland.

Philadelphia has filed suit multiple times to allow the city to make stricter laws around firearms, but courts so far have not allowed it, including one decision that came in late May. At issue are commonwealth laws known as “preemption” statutes. These stop Pa. municipalities — “preempt” them — from being able to make tighter gun control laws than exist at the state level.

If you or someone you know has been affected by gun violence in Philadelphia, you can find support and resources here.