At Least 6, Including Children, Feared Dead in Philadelphia-Area Fire, Reports Reuters

Six to eight individuals are feared dead following a house fire near Philadelphia on Wednesday. During their response to the incident, two police officers were injured by gunfire originating from within the residence, according to officials.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer indicated that the suspected shooter was believed to have set the fire and was among those still inside the home. Footage from the scene captured flames and smoke pouring from the two-story wooden structure.

Due to the intensity of the blaze, first responders are postponing their search for victims until Thursday. Stollsteimer expressed concern, stating, “I will say with a heavy heart that we are afraid there might be more than one person in that house. We know the victim’s family had a lot of people living in that house including children. We’re aware that there were at least six to eight people who are unaccounted for from that family.”

The incident unfolded in East Lansdowne, a suburb of Philadelphia, when officers responded to reports of an 11-year-old girl being shot. Upon their arrival, the officers came under immediate gunfire. Stollsteimer later reported that the officers appeared to be recovering well during his visit to them in the hospital. “They gave us the thumbs up. Those guys are going to be OK,” he noted.

Stollsteimer declined to answer reporters’ questions until after the scheduled search on Thursday morning, hinting at the possibility of distressing news. “It could be a lot of bad news tomorrow,” he said. “We’re hopeful that we are wrong, but because these family members are unaccounted for, we are concerned that they may have been inside the home that was set on fire.”