A man suspected of fatally shooting three family members in their Philadelphia-area homes Saturday was arrested in New Jersey after evading law enforcement for hours as police mobilized across two states, shutting down a parade and an amusement park and ordering some residents to stay in their homes.
Steve Wilson, police director for the city of Trenton, New Jersey, said the man was arrested near a house where officers had believed he was barricaded inside. He apparently left the home before the police cordon was erected, Mr. Wilson said.
Mr. Wilson added that he did not believe the suspect was armed at the time.
The suspect was identified earlier as 26-year-old Andre Gordon Jr.
Authorities said they believe he killed his stepmother, his teenage sister, and the mother of his children in shootings at two homes in eastern Pennsylvania’s Falls Township in the morning, Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said. His children’s grandmother was injured when she was bludgeoned with a rifle.
Officials said they couldn’t yet speak to a motive for the attacks. While Mr. Gordon had had some minor brushes with the law, they were “nothing that would indicate that anything like this would happen,” Falls Township Police Chief Nelson Whitney said at a news conference.
Falls Township Police were called to a residence on Viewpoint Lane in Levittown at 8:52 a.m. when a shooting was reported. Two people were found dead in the residence, and the suspect was determined to be Mr. Gordon, who had driven there from an unknown location in a stolen vehicle.
Police further reported that the suspect allegedly shot and killed a third victim on Edgewood Lane in Levittown within a few minutes of the first shooting, and then fled the area.
Around 9:13 a.m., the suspect allegedly carjacked a driver at gunpoint in a Dollar General parking lot in Morrisville about five miles away from Falls Township. The driver was not injured, according to police.
Reports of the shootings led to a shelter-in-place order in Falls Township as police searched for the suspect.
Residents were asked to shelter in place, lock their doors, and move away from windows to a secure location.
“Gordon is extremely dangerous and anyone who sees him or the vehicle is asked to contact 911 immediately,” police said.
Residents of nearby Middletown Township were told not to travel to Falls Township.
“This is a fluid situation and we are asking the community to take some precautions,” Middletown Township said. “Do NOT travel to Falls Township until further notice. If you live in areas that border Falls, you should shelter in place until further notice.”
The Bucks County St. Patrick’s Day Parade was canceled because of the shelter-in-place order, and several local businesses temporarily closed.
Both Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) of Levittown and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro reported that they were informed of the shootings, and Mr. Shapiro said on social media that he was directing Pennsylvania State Police to work with law enforcement to find Mr. Gordon.
He was believed to be driving a 2016 gray Honda CRV with a “Namaste” sticker in white letters on the right bumper and a Pennsylvania license plate.
The carjacked vehicle was found about six miles away from Falls Township and one mile away from Morrisville in Trenton, New Jersey, where Mr. Gordon has connections, just before noon on Saturday. The vehicle was unoccupied.
The shelter-in-place order in Falls Township was consequently lifted around 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Gordon, a black man, is believed to be homeless, thin, and 6-foot 1-inch tall. He was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and carrying one or multiple rifles or long guns. Authorities say a rifle was used in the shootings. He could also have other weapons.
He was reported to have barricaded himself in a residence in Trenton near the location of the abandoned vehicle with several hostages.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey State Police were also responding to the location and providing support to SWAT as requested by the governor and other officials.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
