A suspect accused of killing three family members, including his 13-year-old sister, in a Philadelphia suburb before fleeing to New Jersey is now in jail, according to investigators.
The suspect, named as 26-year-old Andre Gordon Jr., was initially reported barricaded with hostages inside a Trenton home around midday Saturday, hours after the shootings in Falls Township, Pennsylvania, authorities said.
According to Trenton officers Director Steve Wilson, officers received information that Gordon could be on the street after an hours-long standoff. According to Wilson, the guy was caught while walking several streets near the home without incident Saturday evening.
Gordon may have “slipped out” of the house before police were able to set up a cordon around it, Wilson added.
Residents of the home and surrounding residences had been safely evacuated, and investigators believed Gordon was locked inside, according to police.
Gordon was wanted in connection with shootings that took place Saturday morning at two residences in Levittown, a Falls Township suburb, according to officials.
Gordon allegedly carjacked a vehicle in Trenton before driving to the neighborhood and “forcibly” breaking into both homes, according to Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn. He was carrying an AR-15-style assault rifle, according to Falls Township Chief of Police Nelson Whitney.
Falls Township officers were first summoned to a Viewpoint Lane residence about 8:52 a.m., where two persons had been fatally shot, according to police. The victims were the suspect’s 52-year-old stepmother, Karen Gordon, and his 13-year-old sister, Kera Gordon, according to Schorn.
Three other family members in the house, including a minor, were able to hide and “avoid being shot by Gordon as he went through the house searching for them,” Schorn told reporters during a news briefing on Saturday.
A 25-year-old woman was shot and murdered at a home on Edgewood Lane about 9:01 a.m., according to police. According to Schorn, the victim, Taylor Daniel, and the suspect had two children together.
Schorn stated there were four other persons in the house at the time, including Daniel’s mother and two children. According to Schorn, Gordon allegedly bludgeoned her with the assault weapon, causing non-life-threatening injuries.
Gordon is suspected of stealing a 2016 dark grey Honda CRV at gunpoint before fleeing back to Trenton. Police said the carjacking happened around 9:13 a.m. in the parking lot of a Dollar General in Morrisville. The driver of the vehicle was unhurt.
The Honda CRV was discovered unoccupied in Trenton at about 11:38 a.m., according to Falls Township police.
Wilson added that authorities in Trenton have not retrieved a rifle. Police are carrying out a search warrant at the property, he said.
The suspect will be brought to the Trenton Police Department for processing before being extradited to Pennsylvania, according to Wilson. He would not clarify the counts Gordon would face in Trenton.
Schorn stated that she could not comment on the suspect’s motive or criminal history at this time.
Chief Whitney stated that police have had “minor” interactions with Gordon in the past, but “nothing that would indicate anything like this would happen.”
The individual is suspected to be homeless and has connections to the Trenton region, police added.
Schorn stated that they would investigate “every aspect” of how he obtained the firearm.
Police in Falls Township issued a shelter-in-place warning during the hunt for the suspect, which has since been lifted.
A shelter-in-place advisory in neighboring Middletown Township has also been canceled.
The Bucks County St. Patrick’s Day parade, which was scheduled for Saturday morning, was canceled due to police activity, according to Pennsylvania State Sen. Steve Santarsiero.