Multiple people, including children, are unaccounted for following a house fire and shooting that wounded two police officers at a suburban Philadelphia home. The incident began with a 911 call reporting that an 11-year-old girl had been shot. When officers arrived, they immediately came under gunfire from the property. Two officers were injured, and the three-story house was then set on fire by an individual inside. Large flames were seen rising from the roof and top floor of the property before spreading to the lower levels, gutting the structure.
Authorities have locked down the scene and are waiting for the fire to be extinguished for further investigation. Six to eight people, including children, are unaccounted for, and it is feared that they may have been inside the house when it was burned. By Wednesday evening, the fire had smoldered and smoke was still rising from the wreckage as firefighters worked the scene. The side of a neighboring home was also charred, and the entire block was evacuated. There was no immediate information on the conditions of the individuals who may have been inside the home, including the child who was reported wounded. The whereabouts of the person who fired at the officers also weren’t clear, but authorities said there were “no threats to the community from that house.”
The district attorney stated that they would search the home on Thursday once the fire was cleared. As of now, the situation remains under investigation, and authorities are still unsure of who was in the house, who the shooter was, how many people are in there, and their status. The incident remains ongoing, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
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