Fully automatic gun used in deadly Memorial Day mass shooting in Philadelphia park: Police
Two people were killed and nine others were injured when a barrage of gunfire erupted on Memorial Day in Philadelphia's largest municipal park, one of a series of mass shootings across the nation over the long holiday weekend, authorities said.
The Philadelphia shooting unfolded at Fairmount Park around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, the final day of Memorial Day weekend, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
The shooting left a 23-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman dead, police said. Those wounded included three juveniles ranging from age 15 to 17, authorities said.
"As your mayor, I want to affirm to all of Philadelphia today that there are no excuses for this. This is a heinous act of violence that was inhumane, no regard for life," Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Parker said that from the different caliber shell casings investigators collected at the crime scene, police believe that at least three gunmen opened fire in the incident.
No arrests have been announced and detectives were working Tuesday afternoon to identify those responsible for the shooting, authorities said.
"This was wartime ammunition that was just opened on Philadelphians and those who were here in our city," an emotional Parker said.
MORE: 11-year-old boy accidentally shot to death by sibling inside of their home
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said at Tuesday's news conference that numerous shots were fired in the incident and that investigators suspect at least one of the firearms used in the shooting was equipped with a switch, a device converts some semiautomatic handguns into fully-automatic weapons.
"I talked to my SWAT team. We're pretty confident, but we don't have the weapon in hand, that a switch was involved," Bethel said. "You cannot fire that many levels of bullets with such speed and time without having some type of switch on it."
Bethel said it remains unclear if any of the victims were targets of the shooting.
Mayor Parker said Philadelphia police are working with the FBI, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals to bring the perpetrators to justice.
"We will not be held hostage by anyone who decides that they want to get assault-like, war-like weaponry, guns with switches," Parker said.
Fairmount Park, which spans 2,052 acres and is divided by the Schuylkill River, was busy throughout the day Monday and into the evening, with families and members of the community attending Memorial Day get-togethers and barbecues, Bethel said. He said Park Rangers contacted police around 8:15 p.m., expressing concerns about the number of people in the park, prompting officers to begin clearing out the park.
Bethel said it was unclear how many people were in the park when the shooting broke out.
MORE: Torture charges filed against 3 family members accused of abusing 6 children
The Philadelphia shooting came amid a violent holiday weekend across the country.
Between Friday evening and Monday night, at least five mass shootings occurred throughout the nation, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a website that tracks U.S. shootings. The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as at least four people wounded or killed in a single event, not including the shooters.
At least six people were wounded in a shooting Saturday night in Colorado Springs, Colorado, police said. A 25-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder in the Colorado Springs shooting and police said they were investigating whether others were involved.
In Little River, South Carolina, a suburb of Myrtle Beach, 11 people were injured when gunfire broke out on a docked charter boat, according to the Horry County Police Department. Ten of the victims suffered gunshot wounds and one suffered a non-gunfire-related injury. Police said the shooting occurred as the result of an altercation during a private Memorial Day weekend gathering.
No arrests in the Little River shooting have been announced.
MORE: 11-year-old boy accidentally shot to death by sibling inside of their home
In Jackson, Tennessee, seven people, including juveniles, were wounded in a mass shooting that erupted at the city's Kate Campbell Park around 8:41 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Jackson Police Department. No arrests had been announced as of Tuesday afternoon.
"Our City of Jackson parks are designed to be a place of community. They are places we ALL can visit, and enjoy being outdoors playing, staying fit, having a picnic, or just relaxing. They should be a refuge for our children and families, safe from any suggestion of harm," Jackson police Chief Thom Corley said in a letter to his community he released on Monday. "When that atmosphere is disrupted by the acts of one or more people who disregard the safety of the rest of us, I become upset and discouraged. I'm sure many of you feel the same."
Corley added, "When those acts injure children, the most precious asset to our community, I, like many of you, get very angered. I can also assure you, each Officer and staff member of the Jackson Police Department is determined to seek justice for the victims and their families, and we will prosecute fully, those responsible."
Fully automatic gun used in deadly Memorial Day mass shooting in Philadelphia park: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Epoch Times
20 minutes ago
- Epoch Times
Boulder Attack Suspect's Family Taken Into Federal Custody
Federal authorities have taken custody of the family of the suspect in Sunday's terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem That action comes two days after Mohammed Soliman, 45, was arrested in connection with a firebombing that burned at least a dozen Jewish supporters at a June 1 rally. Authorities say the Egyptian national was in the United States illegally after overstaying a visa and work permit, and that he lived in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children. Noem's post said Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers 'are taking the family ... into ICE custody.' That action was taken to investigate 'to what extent his family knew about this horrific attack, if they had any knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it,' Noem said. Officials said eight people were taken to hospitals after Soliman allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to burn rally participants; four others came forward with less serious injuries. At least one person suffered critical injuries. Soliman was also injured, and wore a bandage on his head when his mug shot was taken. Soliman faces multiple federal and state charges, including attempted murder; a An FBI affidavit said that Soliman told investigators he had left messages for his family on a cellphone that he hid in a desk drawer at his home before making the two-hour drive to Boulder. He had planned the onslaught for more than a year, investigators said, adding that Soliman stated he used YouTube videos to learn how to make explosive devices that were used in the attack. Soliman also said he was targeting Jews out of hatred, the FBI said. U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell told reporters that Soliman admitted he would have used a firearm if he had been able to buy one; federal laws Noem said: 'I am continuing to pray for the victims of this attack and for all of their families. Our thoughts and our prayers go out to all of them, and I want them to know that justice will be served.' On June 2, Secretary of State Marco Rubio Many commenters applauded Rubio and others in President Donald Trump's administration for stricter immigration enforcement. Others pointed out that Soliman's work permit expired in March 2025—after the president took office, critics noted, saying his administration had failed to nab Soliman before the attack.
Washington Post
27 minutes ago
- Washington Post
FBI says it broke up effort to bring toxic fungus to Michigan lab from China
DETROIT — A Chinese scientist entered the U.S. last year with a toxic fungus stashed in his backpack, federal authorities said Tuesday as they filed charges against him and a girlfriend who worked in a lab at the University of Michigan. The pathogen is known as Fusarium graminearum, which can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice and sicken livestock and people, the FBI said in a court filing in Detroit. The FBI said a scientific journal describes it as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon.' Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, were charged with conspiracy, smuggling, making false statements and visa fraud. 'The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals, including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party, are of the gravest national security concerns,' U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said. Jian appeared in court and was returned to jail to await a bond hearing Thursday. An attorney who was assigned only for her initial appearance declined to comment. In July 2024, Liu was turned away at the Detroit airport and sent back to China after changing his story during an interrogation about red plant material discovered in his backpack, the FBI said. He initially claimed ignorance about the samples but later said he was planning to use the material for research at a University of Michigan lab where Jian worked and where Liu previously worked, the FBI said. The FBI said authorities found a scientific article on Liu's phone that was titled, 'Plant-Pathogen Warfare under Changing Climate Conditions.' A week before arriving in the U.S., according to investigators, Liu exchanged messages with Jian, who said, 'It's a pity that I still have to work for you.' The FBI said Liu replied: 'Once this is done, everything else will be easy.' Months later, in February, FBI agents visited Jian at the campus lab. She said, '100% no,' when asked if she had been assisting Liu with the pathogen at the lab. The FBI said it found a signed statement on her phone expressing her support for the Communist Party of China. Messages between the two in 2024 suggest that Jian was already tending to Fusarium graminearum at the campus lab before Liu was caught at the Detroit airport, the FBI said. The university does not have federal permits to handle it. The U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with China, which makes Liu's arrest unlikely unless he returns.
Fox News
29 minutes ago
- Fox News
Patel: Chinese nationals charged with smuggling 'known agroterrorism agent' into US is a 'direct threat'
EXCLUSIVE – FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital that the case involving two Chinese nationals who were charged Tuesday with allegedly smuggling a "dangerous biological pathogen" into the U.S. to study at the University of Michigan laboratory demonstrates a serious national security threat to America's food supply. "This case is a sobering reminder that the Chinese Communist Party continues to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate our institutions and target our food supply, an act that could cripple our economy and endanger American lives," Patel told Fox. "Smuggling a known agroterrorism agent into the U.S. is not just a violation of law, it's a direct threat to national security. I commend the FBI Detroit Division and our partners at CBP for stopping this biological threat before it could do real damage." University of Michigan research fellow Yunqing Jian and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu – both citizens of the People's Republic of China – have been charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan announced Tuesday. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The couple are accused of smuggling a fungus called Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a "potential agroterrorism weapon," according to the Justice Department. Federal prosecutors note the noxious fungus causes "head blight," a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and "is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year." The Justice Department also says fusarium graminearum's toxins cause vomiting, liver damage, and "reproductive defects in humans and livestock." According to the criminal complaint, Jian, 33, allegedly received Chinese government funding for her work on the pathogen in China. Federal prosecutors say Jian's electronics contain information "describing her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party." Liu, 34, allegedly works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on the same pathogen, according to the complaint. Federal prosecutors say "he first lied" but then admitted to smuggling Fusarium graminearum into the United States through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. His alleged goal was to conduct research on the pathogen at the laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked, according to court documents. The FBI arrested Jian in connection with the allegations, and she was scheduled to make her first federal court appearance in Detroit on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Justice Department. It's unclear whether Liu has been taken into custody. "The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals – including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party – are of the gravest national security concerns," U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon said in a statement. "These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon' into in the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme." CBP Director of Field Operations Marty Raybon said the criminal charges levied against Jian and Liu "are indicative of CBP's critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate our agricultural economy and cause harm to humans; especially when it involves a researcher from a major university attempting to clandestinely bring potentially harmful biological materials into the United States." "This was a complex investigation involving CBP offices from across the country, alongside our federal partners," Raybon said. "I'm grateful for their tireless efforts, ensuring our borders remain secure from all types of threats while safeguarding America's national security interests." Jian is still listed as a post-doctoral research fellow on the University of Michigan website as of Tuesday afternoon. Fox News Digital reached out to the University of Michigan for comment on Tuesday but did not immediately hear back. The Justice Department noted that a trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint, and a determination will be made about whether to seek a felony indictment when the investigation is completed. The charges were announced at a time when the Trump administration is cracking down on what they categorize as anti-American radicals at U.S. universities, particularly foreign students engaged in antisemitic or anti-Israel protests on campus. Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced he would be "aggressively" revoking the student visas for Chinese nationals, "including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." Related to Harvard University in particular, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement accused what is perhaps America's most prestigious university of potentially having "collaborated with the CCP and other foreign adversaries."
