TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Authorities in Trenton, New Jersey announced the surrender of a 26-year-old suspect sought in connection with the fatal shooting of three relatives in Levittown, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. The shootings occurred at two separate homes on Saturday morning.
Andre Gordon Jr. was apprehended a few blocks away from the residence where the standoff had taken place. Trenton police revealed that Gordon had left the house before the standoff and was spotted by officers.
Following the incident, SWAT teams surrounded a home on Phillips Avenue in Trenton, believing Gordon might be inside with hostages. Thankfully, all residents present in the home were safely evacuated.
According to Falls Township Police, the violent situation began when the suspect reportedly forced his way into a home on Viewpoint Lane in Levittown. Two individuals, Karen Gordon (52) and Kera Gordon (13), were fatally shot. Karen Gordon was identified as Andre Gordon’s stepmother, while Kera Gordon was his sister.
The suspect then proceeded to another home on Edgewood Lane in Levittown, where he tragically killed 25-year-old Taylor Daniel, the mother of Gordon’s children.
Law enforcement efforts led them to the Phillips Avenue property in Trenton following multiple shootings and carjackings that occurred in Trenton and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on Saturday morning. The manhunt put various communities in Bucks County on high alert, resulting in shelter-in-place orders and the closure of several local businesses.
Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn detailed that the suspect, armed with an AR-style rifle and potentially other firearms, carjacked a vehicle in Trenton before carrying out the violent acts. Residents were able to evade the suspect’s gunfire by hiding in the first home in Levittown where the initial shootings occurred.
After the ordeal in the first home, the suspect moved on to the second home on Edgewood Lane, where additional bloodshed ensued. One individual was critically injured by the suspect but is expected to survive.
The suspect fled the scene after the second shooting and later engaged in a carjacking in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. The stolen vehicle was eventually located near the Trenton residence where the hostage situation unfolded.
Investigations are ongoing to determine how the suspect obtained the rifle, as details of the carjacking in Trenton have yet to be disclosed. Authorities noted that Gordon has no fixed address but has connections to Trenton and Bucks County.
The violent events prompted a shelter-in-place order in Falls Township and led to the closure of Sesame Place, the Oxford Valley Mall, and several businesses in Middletown Township. The emergency response also resulted in the postponement of activities in the Pennsbury School District.
Governor Josh Shapiro directed Pennsylvania State Police to cooperate with local law enforcement in their investigation and reiterated calls for residents to shelter in place. Langhorne police advised against traveling to Falls Township until further notice.
The situation in Falls Township sparked fear and caution among residents and officials, prompting swift responses and measures to ensure public safety. The investigation into the shootings and the suspect’s motives continues as authorities work to bring justice to the victims and their families.