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An 18-year-old gunman died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting two women, a man and a SEPTA police officer in Northeast Philadelphia's Frankford neighborhood, police said.
The ordeal began around 7 p.m. Wednesday as patrolling police officers heard gunshots near Arrott and Leiper streets. They spotted an unidentified man holding a gun and chased him to an apartment building along the 4700 block of Leiper Street, police said.
The gunman, identified by a family member as 18-year-old Zyhiem Hartman, then barricaded himself inside the building, according to investigators.
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Around the same time, police found a 57-year-old woman and a 42-year-old woman at Arrott and Griscom streets. Both women had been shot in the hip. They were both taken to the hospital in stable condition and are expected to recover.
Police later revealed Thursday night that the gunman also shot a 33-year-old man along the 4900 block of Frankford Avenue. The man was shot twice in the neck and suffered a graze wound to the head. He walked to the hospital and is currently in stable condition.
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Philadelphia Police, SEPTA Police and SWAT surrounded the gunman inside the apartment building. SkyForce10 was over the scene as he fired at the officers who returned gunfire from an elevated position.
During the standoff, a 28-year-old SEPTA officer was shot at least once in the abdomen as he tried to provide cover for a Philadelphia police officer who was pinned down by a wall.
A SEPTA spokesperson identified him as Ervis Onuzi. He has been a transit police officer for three years, the spokesperson said.
Onuzi was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he is in critical but stable condition. SEPTA Police Chief Thomas Nestel said Onuzi underwent surgery and is expected to be OK.
"I am so proud of what he did," Onuzi's mother, Violeta, told NBC10 on Thursday. "He protected people and friends, too – cops.”
Shortly after 8 p.m., police entered the apartment building and found Hartman dead on the second floor. They also recovered his weapon.
Investigators believe Hartman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"He absolutely had the advantage and it's a small miracle this wasn't worse," Philadelphia Police Sgt. Eric Gripp said. "We have a SEPTA police officer who's seriously injured, but it could have been much worse."
Police gathered outside the hospital Wednesday night and cheered as the wounded SEPTA officer spoke with them via FaceTime.
Thursday evening, Hartman's mother, Keysha Jones-Hartman, told NBC10 she doesn't believe her son shot himself. She also said her son was "going through some things" and snapped after dealing with family problems.
"Of course he probably was going through something but that was something within himself," she said. "We have a lot of family things as far as sick ones and people passing. And everybody doesn't deal with things the same way."
Jones-Hartman said she hasn't seen her son's body or spoken with police since the shootings Wednesday night.
"I understand what happened," she said. "And I'm not taking any of that away. I understand, but that man didn't die. My son is never coming back. I have five kids and five grandkids to take care of. It's not fair."
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
