‘TERRORIZED’ 2 COUNTIES
Man held in Philly-area family slays faces charges in N.J. also
A man suspected of killing his family in Pennsylvania and fleeing to New Jersey will face criminal charges in both states, authorities announced Sunday.
Andre Gordon, 26, was detained Saturday evening after a manhunt that terrified several Philadelphia suburbs.
In Pennsylvania, Gordon (photo) was charged with three counts of first- and second-degree murder, aggravated assault, robbery and other crimes. Those charges are connected to the Saturday killings of Karen Gordon, 52; Kera Gordon, 13, and Taylor Daniel, 25, in Levittown.
Additionally, Gordon was charged in New Jersey with carjacking and several weapons offenses, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said Sunday.
“The string of violent acts that took place yesterday, allegedly at the hands of a single armed individual, alarmed and terrorized communities in Bucks and Mercer counties,” Platkin said in a statement. “We will pursue justice for the victims and hold the defendant accountable for his reprehensible actions.”
Gordon first carjacked a vehicle in Trenton then drove to Levittown, according to authorities. Once there, he entered a home with Karen Gordon, his stepmother, and Kera Gordon, his teen sister, police said.
Though Gordon fatally shot his two relatives, three other people in the house escaped and hid, according to investigators. Gordon then drove to another Levittown home, where he killed Daniel, the mother of his two children, and smacked Daniel’s mother with his rifle, police said, leading to the assault charge.
Gordon then carjacked a second vehicle in Morrisville and drove back to Trenton, where cops believed he barricaded himself on the first floor of a two-story residence.
However, Gordon was not actually inside the building and officers arrested him after he was spotted walking down a street nearby.
Several events in the region were canceled while Gordon was on the loose, including the Bucks County St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Gordon was held at Mercer County Correction Center on Sunday, with officials saying he would eventually be sent to Pennsylvania.
“Kung Fu Panda 4” stayed at the top of the North American box office in its second weekend in theaters. The Universal and DreamWorks Animation movie earned $30 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The franchise featuring the voice of Jack Black is responsible for over $1.9 billion at the box office since it launched in 2008 and spawned several animated series, shorts, video games and a holiday special. The fourth installment, playing in 4,067 locations in North America, has already made $107.7 million domestically.
There were several new movies arriving in over 1,000 theaters (or expanding) this weekend, including Lionsgate’s Mark Wahlberg dog movie “Arthur the King,” Focus Features’ comedic satire “The American Society of Magical Negroes” and A24’s Kristen Stewart-led bodybuilding thriller “Love Lies Bleeding.”
But the charts still belonged to the franchises, including “Dune: Part Two,” which came in a very close second in its third weekend, with $29.1 million. That’s down only 37% from last weekend. It’s now made $205.3 million domestically. The first film, which was released simultaneously in theaters and on streaming, capped out at around $435 million globally, while “Part Two” is already at almost $500 million worldwide.
“Arthur the King” did the best of the newcomers, landing in third place with $7.5 million from 3,003 locations. The studio went into the weekend expecting something in the $8 million to $10 million range. Its low production cost and international presales should yield profits. Directed by Simon Cellan Jones and written by Michael Brandt, the movie is based on the true story of an adventure racer who befriends a stray dog on a perilous 435-mile trek in the Dominican Republic. Simu Liu plays one of Wahlberg’s teammates. With an A CinemaScore, the studio is hoping positive word of mouth will boost sales in the coming weeks.
“Love Lies Bleeding“opened in 1,362 locations to $2.5 million. Written and directed by Rose Glass (“Saint Maud”), it’s a pulpy ’80s-set Western thriller about an isolated gym manager (Stewart) and a bodybuilder (Katy O’Brian) passing through town.
“The American Society of Magical Negroes” opened in 1,147 theaters and made an estimated $1.3 million. According to exit data, 52% of the opening weekend audience was Black. The movie, written and directed by Kobi Libii, is a satire about a secret society of Black people dedicated to making white lives easier. Justice Smith and David Alan Grier star.
In the first weekend following the Oscars, “Poor Things” added $2.3 million globally, bumping its total to $112.6 million.
Next weekend, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” will arrive in theaters, armed with proton packs and brand-name recognition.