2 dead in apparent murder-suicide after standoff in Port Richmond

PORT RICHMOND (WPVI) -- Two people are dead in an apparent murder-suicide following a standoff with Philadelphia Police in the city's Port Richmond section.

The incident began around 2:00 p.m. when two 24th district police officers tell us they were responding to reports of gunfire in the 3500 block of Emerald Street.

Officer Brendon Berd says, "We arrived, as soon as we pulled up we heard shots fired at our vehicle. You could see either glass or some type of metal shrapnel coming off the side of the vehicle.

Officer Jonathan Ballinger described the moment, telling us, "Scary moment. As soon as I heard the shots I just wanted to get out of the vehicle and get behind cover."

It was 25-year-old Ballinger's fourth day on the job.

The two took cover behind their patrol car and waited for SWAT officers to arrive, because they were pinned down by the gunman who was still firing.

Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Joe Sullivan says, "They waited for the arrival of a SWAT armored vehicle to come onto the block, at which point they were placed into the armored vehicle and they were taken out of the line of fire."

Soon officers evacuated a number of residents.

Later SWAT team members would here another shot coming from the home.

Fearing that someone inside had been shot, they sent a robot inside.

Chief Inspector Sullivan explains, "We inserted a robot with a camera. The robot did identify that there were two victims down. They were quite obviously dead."

Police say they were two men - one of them believed to be the gunman.

A weapon was recovered inside the home.

No one else was injured.

Officer Brendon Berd says, "I'm just glad we had a quick police response and no officers or civilians in the neighborhood were injured."

Police are still trying to figure out what set off this domestic dispute.