3 bodies found, 3 others presumed dead in Philadelphia suburbs after house erupts in flames, 2 officers shot

Authorities in Pennsylvania found the remains of three people and a rifle in the charred ruins of a Philadelphia suburb home after two police officers were shot there. 

According to FOX 29, citing the Delaware County District Attorney’s office, investigators believe three children and three adults were inside the home in East Lansdowne during the fire.

Authorities said that they found three people’s remains, including the suspected shooter’s remains, among the charred wreckage.

The other three are presumed dead, authorities said.

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“Everyone who was in the house during the fire is presumed dead at this point,” District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said in a press conference outside Penn Presbyterian Hospital on Thursday afternoon.

Authorities said that they believe that the suspect got into an argument and shot one of the children.

According to FOX 29, authorities confirmed that the grandparents said that they saw their son shoot his daughter and leave the house. Investigators believe the grandfather called 911.

Investigators who have painstakingly looked through the wreckage, found a torso and a rifle, but Stollsteimer did not speculate on identifying the victims.

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“I can’t tell you who that is or anything like that, but we found the remains of a human torso and a rifle, and that’s really all I can tell you at this point,” Stollsteimer said.

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The news comes as Officer David Schiazza, who was shot in the leg while responding to the home on Wednesday afternoon, was released from the hospital on Thursday afternoon.

Schiazza, a 22-year member of the Lansdowne Police Department, and Officer John Meehan were both shot outside the home on Wednesday.

Meehan, 44, was struck in the left arm and required “lengthy surgery” and treatment, according to officials. He is expected to be released Thursday night or Friday.

The officers were responding to a 911 call which reported that an 11-year-old girl had been shot.

When they arrived, the officers were met with “immediate gunfire” coming out of the property from the suspect who allegedly fired around 40 to 50 bullets at the officers.

The district attorney said the officers reached out to neighboring departments, and they responded and “dragged” the two police officers from the home following the shooting.

 

It was unknown at this time what sparked a fire inside the house that soon engulfed the entire property and burned it to the ground. 

Footage from the scene showed intense flames rising from the roof and top floor of the three-story home before spreading to the lower levels, largely gutting the structure. 

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.