An officer fired at one of the gunmen as he was shooting, but it was unclear whether the man was hit, Pace said. The man dropped his weapon and fled when he was fired upon, he added.
The whereabouts of the shooters were not immediately known, Pace said.
Of the 14 people who were shot and brought to nearby hospitals, three – two men and a woman – were pronounced dead on arrival, Pace told reporters.
“There were hundreds of individuals just enjoying South Street as they do every single weekend when this shooting broke out,” Pace said. “This investigation is fluid,” he added.
* Alert * Emergency personnel are responding to a shooting incident in the area of 3rd and South Streets. Several people have been injured. Please avoid the area.
– Philadelphia Police (hilPhillyPolice) June 5, 2022
Two weapons, both semiautomatic handguns, were recovered, Pace said. One of them had an extended magazine. “Multiple casings” of ammunition were strewn about the South Street area, he added.
Police will continue to gather information and look at video surveillance footage in the bustling area, he said.
A local 6ABC news outlet showed videos of glass debris on the street and police tape cordoning off a busy shopping area. It also reported that Thomas Jefferson University Hospital took in several injured victims.
The shooting comes amid fresh outrage across the country from police chiefs and elected officials over gun violence. President Biden has renewed a push for Congress to act on gun restrictions.
Adela Suliman contributed to this report.
