A gunman ambushed a Philadelphia police sergeant Friday night, firing more than a dozen rounds before taking off, and then shot four civilians and a University of Pennsylvania police officer before he was finally cornered and killed by police, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. Police Commissioner Richard Ross identified the gunman as Nicholas Glenn, 25. Ross called the chain of events “a completely bizarre situation.” Sgt. Sylvia Young, 46, was shot at 18 times. Six shots hit her; she was wearing a bulletproof vest and is hospitalized, the Inquirer said today.
During his attempt to flee after shooting the sergeant, Glenn shot a security guard and a patron at a bar, and two people inside a vehicle, Ross said. Both victims in the car, a man and a woman, were taken to the hospital where the woman was later pronounced dead. The man remains in critical condition. Ross said police found a “rambling” letter allegedly written by the gunman in which he expressed hatred toward police and probation officers. According to court records, Glenn had a history of drug-possession convictions in Philadelphia. He had also been arrested and charged with rape, conspiracy and related offenses in connection with a 2009 incident. Charges in the rape case were withdrawn by prosecutors in 2011. It was not clear why. Effective immediately, officers will be patrolling in pairs, Ross said.