Man in custody after allegedly luring girl, firing shots in Philadelphia home

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A man is in custody after allegedly luring an 8-year-old girl into his home and firing shots during a confrontation with the child's mother in Philadelphia's Ogontz section.

The incident began around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 5900 block of North 20th Street.

According to witnesses, the suspect pulled the girl into his house by the arm and locked the door.

Nyliah Briggs, the child's aunt, said the girl had been playing outside with other neighborhood children when she was lured inside.

"When she went up to the door, he pulled her in there by the arm, and he locked the door," Briggs said.

Briggs said the child's mother attempted to rescue her daughter by using mace on the man, prompting him to open fire.

"He was shooting at my sister, her mother," Briggs said. "She has to do everything in her power as a mother to try to get her child to safety."

Police said the girl managed to escape through the back door. A 5-year-old boy remained inside with the suspect, prompting authorities to declare a barricade situation and call in the SWAT team.

"Finally, after about a half hour, he exited the front door of the property voluntarily," said Chief Inspector Scott Small of the Philadelphia Police Department. "That's where police took him into custody."

Moments later, the 5-year-old boy also exited the home unharmed. Police said the boy lived at the residence with the 44-year-old suspect, whose identity has not been released.

"No one else was inside the property," Small said, adding that investigators recovered four spent shell casings from a semi-automatic weapon.

Witnesses expressed relief that no one was seriously injured.

"I'm glad he got caught, so I'm feeling good," a neighbor said.

Briggs called the incident an eye-opener for her family and others.

"Hopefully, this is an opening for mothers to watch your kids at all times because you never know what can happen or where or how," she said.

Police said the suspect appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, narcotics, or both. The Special Victims Unit is interviewing the girl and her mother. Authorities have not disclosed the suspect's motive.