April 28, 2015
A man who barricaded himself, his mother and grandmother inside a West Philadelphia home early Tuesday morning with threats to shoot anyone who approached is now in custody, NBC10 reports.
Officers responded to the potential hostage situation around 6 a.m. on the 4700 block of Melon Street.
The man was said to be armed with an AK-47 assault rifle.
The gunman's mother, who is in her 50s and has some undisclosed medical issues, and his grandmother, who is in her 80s and legally blind, are also inside the home, police said.
Police established a staging area at the Middle Years Alternative School at 4725 Fairmount Ave. Students were initially allowed to enter the school and remain inside, but were then evacuated just before 8 a.m., according to officials.
Officials initially said the man's girlfriend was being held hostage.
Check back later for more on this developing story.
