Two men were killed in an apparent murder-suicide following a barricade situation in Philadelphia Saturday afternoon.
Police were called to a home on the 3500 block of Emerald Street around 2:25 p.m. Saturday for a report of a person with a gun and shots fired. When they arrived a suspect inside the home allegedly opened fire and struck three police vehicles.
Police said the man, described as an ex-convict, then shut himself inside the home. Officers did not return fire for fear of injuring anyone else in the home. They notified the SWAT Team, evacuated 15 to 20 homes and told city buses to avoid the neighborhood, police said.
"It's an easy call for us," said Philadelphia Police Officer Brendan Berd. "We have clear policies on that and they're there for a reason. I believe a lot of lives were saved because of that. I'm just thankful there were no other lives lost."
Police tried to make contact with the people inside the home with a bull horn at 3:29 p.m. They continued to try and contact them until they heard a single gunshot inside the house at 3:41 p.m. The SWAT team entered the home around 4 p.m. and found two men with gunshot wounds to their heads inside a dining room area.
After the house was cleared and secured a medic went inside and pronounced the men dead at 4:19 p.m. Investigators said their deaths appear to be a murder-suicide. Police also found a black and silver Smith and Wesson 40 caliber handgun inside the home.
Police say both men were 25-years-old though they have not yet revealed their identities. No police officers were injured during the incident.
