A suspect accused of killing three family members, including his 13-year-old sister, in a Philadelphia suburb and then fleeing to New Jersey is now in custody, officials said.
The suspect — identified as 26-year-old Andre Gordon Jr. — was initially reported to be barricaded with hostages inside a residence in Trenton midday Saturday, hours after the shootings unfolded at two residences in Falls Township, Pennsylvania, police said.
Following an hourslong standoff, police received information that Gordon was possibly on the street, according to Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson. The suspect, who was found walking several blocks from the home, was apprehended without incident Saturday evening, Wilson said.
Gordon may have “slipped out” of the residence before police were able to establish a perimeter around the home, Wilson said.
Residents in the home and neighboring residences had been safely evacuated while authorities presumed Gordon to be barricaded inside, police said.
Gordon had been sought in connection with shootings that occurred Saturday morning at two homes in Levittown, a community within Falls Township, officials said.
Gordon allegedly carjacked a vehicle in Trenton before traveling to the area and “forcibly” breaking into both homes, according to Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn. He was armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle, according to Falls Township Chief of Police Nelson Whitney.
Gordon was charged in Pennsylvania with three counts of first and second-degree murder, aggravated assault, robbery and other charges, according to court documents. In New Jersey, Gordon was charged with first-degree carjacking and weapons offenses, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a statement Sunday.
“The string of violent acts … is the latest in a horrific litany of illustrations of how illegal guns and assault rifles can empower one aggrieved and disturbed actor,” Platkin said. “We will pursue justice for the victims and hold the defendant accountable for his reprehensible actions.”
Falls Township officers were first dispatched to a residence on Viewpoint Lane at approximately 8:52 a.m. ET on Saturday where two people had been fatally shot, police said. The victims were the suspect’s 52-year-old stepmother, Karen Gordon, and his 13-year-old sister, Kera Gordon, according to Schorn.
Three other family members in the house, including a minor, managed to hide and “avoid being shot by Gordon as he went through the house searching for them,” Schorn told reporters during a press briefing on Saturday.
A 25-year-old woman was then shot and killed at a residence on Edgewood Lane at approximately 9:01 a.m., police said. The victim, Taylor Daniel, shared two children with the suspect, Schorn said.
Four other people were present in the home at the time, including the two children and Daniel’s mother, Schorn said. She suffered non-life-threatening injuries after Gordon allegedly bludgeoned her with the assault rifle, Schorn said.
Gordon is accused of then stealing a 2016 dark gray Honda CRV at gunpoint to flee back to Trenton. The carjacking occurred at approximately 9:13 a.m. in the parking lot of a Dollar General in Morrisville, police said. The operator of the vehicle was unharmed.
The Honda CRV was recovered unoccupied in Trenton at approximately 11:38 a.m. on Saturday, according to Falls Township police.
Authorities in Trenton have not recovered a rifle, Wilson said. P
The suspect was expected to be brought to the Trenton Police Department for processing and eventually extradited to Pennsylvania, according to Wilson.
Schorn said she could not speak to a motive at this time or the suspect’s past criminal history.
Chief Whitney said police have had “minor” contacts with Gordon in the past but “nothing that would indicate anything like this would happen.”
The suspect is believed to be unhoused and has ties to the Trenton area, police said.
Schorn said they will investigate “every aspect” of how he came into possession of the firearm.
Police in Falls Township had issued a shelter-in-place warning amid the search for the suspect that has since been lifted.
A shelter-in-place advisement in nearby Middletown Township was similarly lifted.
The Bucks County St. Patrick’s Day parade scheduled for Saturday morning was canceled due to police activity, according to Pennsylvania State Sen. Steve Santarsiero.
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