November 29, 2017
There have been 15 active shooter incidents in Pennsylvania and New Jersey from 2000-2016, according to the FBI.
Six of those shootings occurred in Philadelphia (4) and Delaware County (2).
The toll: 29 people killed and dozens injured.
Here's a list of the incidents in both states, presented chronologically:
On April 24, 2003, at 7:34 a.m., James Sheets, 14, armed with three handguns, shot and killed the school principal in the cafeteria at Red Lion Junior High School in Red Lion, York County. Though hundreds of students witnessed the shooting, the teen then committed suicide before police arrived.
On October 7, 2005, at 10:13 a.m., Alexander Elkin, 45, armed with a handgun, shot two people in different parking lots in Northeast Philadelphia. He shot his ex-wife and then drove with her body in the car to kill her friend at a nearby location in Somerton. An off-duty police officer witnessed the shooting and flagged down an on-duty police officer to pursue the shooter. After an exchange of gunfire with police, the shooter retreated to his car, where he committed suicide. Two people were killed; no one was wounded.
On October 2, 2006, at 10:30 a.m., Charles Carl Roberts IV, 32, armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun, began shooting at the West Nickel Mines School in Bart Township, Lancaster County. After entering the small building, he ordered all males and adults out of the room. After a 20-minute standoff, Roberts began firing. He committed suicide as the police began to breach the school through a window. Five young girls were killed; five other people were wounded.
On February 12, 2007, at 8 p.m., Vincent Dortch, 44, armed with a rifle and a handgun, began shooting during a ZigZag Net Inc. board meeting at the Naval Business Center in South Philadelphia. The shooter had scheduled the board meeting to discuss a financial dispute with other board members. Three people were killed after they were bound with duct tape and shot in the head; one was wounded. The shooter committed suicide after firing at the police.
On August 4, 2009, at 7:56 p.m., George Sodini, 48, armed with three handguns, began shooting in a LA Fitness aerobics class at the Great Southern Shopping Center in Collier Township, southwest of Pittsburgh. He entered the gym, removed his guns from his gym bag, and began firing in the aerobics studio. Three people were killed; nine were wounded. The shooter committed suicide before police arrived.
On May 7, 2010, at 10:22 p.m., Rasheed Cherry, 17, armed with a handgun, began shooting as he ran through the crowd at a carnival in Bloomfield, New Jersey operated by Blue Sky Amusements and Entertainment, Ltd. No one was killed; one person was wounded. The shooter was shot by responding police and died several days later.
On September 9, 2010, at 8:35 p.m., Yvonne Hiller, 43, armed with a handgun, began shooting at her co-workers in the Kraft Foods Factory on Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia. Suspended from her job and escorted from the building, she was to return. Two people were killed; one was wounded. The shooter and police exchanged gunfire, and Hiller was apprehended a short time later.
On April 8, 2011, at 11:27 p.m., Kanai Daniel Avery, 16, armed with a handgun, allegedly began shooting during a party at the Minaret Temple 174 in Chester, Delaware County. Two people were killed; eight were wounded. The shooter was apprehended by police.
On March 8, 2012, at 1:40 p.m., John Schick, 30, armed with two handguns, began shooting inside the lobby of the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh. One person was killed; seven were wounded, including a police officer. The shooter was killed by University of Pittsburgh police.
On August 31, 2012, at 4 a.m., Terence Tyler, 23, armed with a rifle and a handgun, began shooting at his co-workers in a Pathmark supermarket in Old Bridge in northern New Jersey. He returned after his shift dressed in military fatigues and carrying his weapons. He shot at a co-worker outside the store who ran inside and locked the door, warning other employees. The shooter gained entry to the store by shooting out the lock. Two people were killed; no one was wounded. The shooter committed suicide before police arrived.
On December 21, 2012, at 8:59 a.m., Jeffrey Lee Michael, 44, armed with two handguns, began shooting at citizens as he drove around Frankstown Township, just south of Altoona. Three people were killed and three police officers were wounded before the shooter was killed by police.
On August 5, 2013, at 7:19 p.m., Rockne Warren Newell, 59, armed with a rifle and a handgun, entered a municipal building in the Poconos town of Saylorsburg during a township meeting. He allegedly shot through a wall into the meeting room and then entered the room and continued firing. Newell had a history of disputes with the township over permits for his home. Three people were killed; two were wounded. The shooter was restrained by citizens until police arrived and took him into custody.
On July 24, 2014, at 2:20 p.m., Richard Steven Plotts, 49, armed with a handgun, entered his psychiatrist’s office at the Sister Marie Lenahan Wellness Center on Lansdowne Avenue in Darby, Delaware County, and began shooting, killing his caseworker and wounding his doctor. The doctor, who possessed a valid firearms permit, returned fire. One person was killed; 1 was wounded. Employees restrained the wounded shooter until law enforcement arrived.
On February 7, 2015, at 7:33 p.m., Tarod Tyrell Thornhill, 17, armed with a handgun, allegedly began shooting in Macy’s department store in Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, Allegheny County, about 15 miles east of Pittsburgh. No one was killed; 3 were wounded. The shooter fled the scene and was apprehended by law enforcement several hours later.
On September 16, 2016, at 11:15 p.m., Nicholas N. Glenn, 25, armed with a handgun, began shooting at a law enforcement officer in her marked patrol car in West Philadelphia. The shooter continued to fire his weapon as he fled the scene, shooting two people standing in a bar doorway and shooting a passenger in a parked car. One person was killed; five were injured, including two law enforcement officers. The shooter was killed during an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers.
