Man, girlfriend shot and killed in Frankford

FRANKFORD (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police say a man and his girlfriend are dead, and a 69-year-old man is in custody after a shooting in Frankford.

Authorities say the suspect shot and killed his neighbors behind his home on the 4700 block of James Street around 1:45 a.m. Sunday.

Police say the suspect got into an argument with the neighbor and the neighbor's girlfriend.

The man told police he went back into his home and retrieved his gun because he felt threatened when the couple began to climb over his fence.

The 69-year-old then shot both the 45-year-old neighbor and the 42-year-old girlfriend, police say.

The 45-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The girlfiend was critically wounded, and medics rushed her to Jefferson Aria Health's Torresdale facility, where she later died.

Police did recover the weapon used in the shootings.

"We don't have any witnesses and, right now, we believe the only motive we heard was that the shooter believed that the victims were trying to climb over his fence into the rear of his property and that's why he shot them," Philadelphia Police Captain George Fuchs said.

No charges have yet been filed. The investigation continues.

This was one of a number of shootings Saturday night and early Sunday morning including two deadly ones in South Philadelphia.

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