At least 6 missing in burned home after shootout with police
The house at 58 Lewis Ave. in East Lansdowne looked like any other in the inner ring suburbs.
A small “Happy Valentine” flag fluttered in the front yard and nearby a couple of snow shovels were leaned up against a wall, but the events of Wednesday changed that normalcy.
Crime investigators were slowly demolishing the remains of the home Thursday looking for evidence and the possible remains of six to eight people following a shootout with police and spectacular fire Wednesday.
“We’re methodically taking our time so it take hours. It could take days,” District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said about 10 a.m. as crews began moving a backhoe into location to aid in their work. “There are still a couple of hot spots burning in the house. Our crime scene guys are on the scene but we are not rushing in there because this is going to be a recovery effort.”
The Delaware County medical examiner’s office had multiple crews on scene assisting. By 1 p.m., an ME van had left the scene with one body.
“Whoever was inside that house at the time of the fire is deceased. There is nobody alive in there so we are going to take our time so nobody gets hurt,” Stollsteimer said.
Tax records for the address indicate it has been owned by a person named Huong Le and/or Huong Chin Le since 1990.
Stollsteimer told reporters that a human torso and a rifle were recovered from the home in East Lansdowne, but he cautioned the probe is in its early stages.
Stollsteimer said the shooter may have been inside the house when it was destroyed by fire Wednesday afternoon. He said the family residing there has the surname of Le but otherwise did not release names.
The fire did so much damage it may not be possible to ever determine how it started or who did the shooting, Stollsteimer said.
“If we ever determine it, it won’t be any time soon,” Stollsteimer said outside a hospital where he was preparing for the release of one of the wounded officers.
Residents had praise for the police.
A neighbor’s account
The Rev. Tracy Mallory, a retired 25-year SEPTA police officer, lives a few houses away on the other side of the street.
“It’s just tragic,” Mallory said. “The one thing about this block is every different nationality and religion live here and everybody got along. There was no discord between the neighbors.”
Mallory said he would see the residents of the home on the street to say hello but didn’t know them beyond that. He praised police.
“From the beginning to the end, they did exactly as they were supposed to do: They let their training kick in. They understood what the mission was and all agencies worked well together,” Mallory said. ”There was one sergeant who took command and gave orders and everybody understood their position.”
Mallory, who lives across the street to the left of the home, was home when the shooting started.
“It was the succession of the shots: there was shots before the police came: If you count the shots you hear him, if he annihilated his family. You heard that first shot, then it was a pause. Then it was rapid shots, about four to six. Then it was about two more. That is when the police arrived.
Mallory said when police arrived they were shot at.
“They didn’t really know what house [the shooter was in] and they went house to house securing the properties. Pushed everybody back, once they secured the areas you heard bang, bang, same caliber, but they returned fire,” he said. “Then you knew something happened because the other officers ran back and that is when the two officers were hit. They loaded
them up, took them out and took them to the hospital. That was the last of the gunfire. About two minutes later you smelled smoke and 10 minutes later you saw flames.”
“Your juices get flowing when you hear gunfire, immediate police action,” Mallory said. “But I’m retired now. I secured my family and made sure my neighbors were secured.
“The police officers did an outstanding job, they worked well interagency,” he added. “Everyone did their job. Our prayers are for the wounded officers.”
Derrick Richardson lives across the street from the home. He didn’t hear the original gunshots but when he looked out his window, it was unfolding in front of him.
“Things were already escalated when I discovered something was going go. I’ll take my hat off for the police of Delaware County. They had a tough job. They had to figure out how to get into the house, but the house is on fire,” Richardson said. “They tried everything, a battering ram, they even tried to put the fire out themselves with hoses instead of the fire people. I take my hat off to them, they did a good job.”
He described when the police rescued their fellow officer as happening fast.
“Everything was really fast. They got him out, dragged him down the side of my house and got him to safety,” Richardson said.
Upper Darby Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt described a volatile and dangerous scene when officers from his department responded to the home and were able to rescue the two wounded officers.
“All officers that were on scene initially were taking on fire, and then when they removed themselves from it, there was no more gunfire at that point,” Bernhardt said.
The recap
Those officers were taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, one suffering an arm wound, and another a leg wound.
Police were called Wednesday afternoon about 3:40 p.m. for someone with a firearm shooting inside the house, the first victim allegedly an 11-year-old girl.
The caller left the phone line open and the call taker with Delaware County Emergency Services could hear gunshots in the background.
Officers arrived moments later and quickly came under gunfire with neighbors suggesting 40 to 50 shots were fired, though it’s not
clear whether some of those were return fire from officers.
An East Lansdowne officer and a Lansdowne officer were hit, and comrades got them out of the line of fire and into ambulances. Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt said his officers dragged the injured officers to safety using ballistic shields to cover them from the gunfire.
A spokesperson for Stollsteimer identified the officers who were shot as David Schiazza, 54, with the Lansdowne Police Department, and John Meehan, 44, of East Lansdowne police. Both are 22-year veterans.
Meehan was hit in a leg, requiring lengthy surgery. He is still being treated for his injury. Sciazza was hit in an arm and was expected to be released from Penn Presbyterian Thursday afternoon. Stollsteimer and other members of law enforcement will be on hand for his release.
Within 10 minutes, the house was ablaze and there was no more gunfire.
Authorities waited out the incident.
There was no more information about the child who was reported wounded.