By Canadian Press

2 officers wounded by gunfire at home that later erupts in flames in Philadelphia suburb

Feb 7, 2024 | 5:04 PM

EAST LANSDOWNE, Pa. (AP) — Two police officers were wounded Wednesday by gunfire at a suburban Philadelphia home that later became engulfed in flames, authorities said.

Officials in Delaware County said officers were called to the house in East Lansdowne on a report that an 11-year-old girl had been wounded by gunfire.

They immediately came under fire, and the two who were hit were reportedly taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital.

One was shot in the arm and the other in the leg, and they were in stable condition, said Margie McAboy, director of policy and public engagement for the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office.

Intense flames and smoke were initially seen rising from the roof and top floor of the three-story home, and the blaze then spread to the lower levels, leaving the structure largely gutted. The side of a neighboring home was also charred.

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There was no immediate word on the condition of anyone inside the home, including the child who was reported wounded.

“House is fully engulfed in fire. Status of suspect unknown,” McAboy said.

District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer told WPVI-TV that fire crews were battling to control the fire, which “has largely burned out the house.”

The gunshots had stopped, he added, and officials had “no idea whether or not the shooter is still alive inside the house.”

Officers were looking to enter to “try to stabilize the situation” and determine who may be there.

SWAT officers and agents from other departments were deployed to the scene.

East Lansdowne is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of downtown Philadelphia.

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AP photographer Matt Rourke contributed to this report.

The Associated Press