Police recovered the bodies of six people following a horrifying fire that destroyed a Pennsylvania home last week. Now, they’re looking to identify a gunman who may be connected to the incident... and may have also died in the fire.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said among the six bodies recovered were parents Xuong Le and Britni McLaughlin-Le along with their three children 10-year-old Xavier, 13-year-old NaKayla and 17-year-old NaTalya, per NBC News. They were all found among the rubble in the home on Lewis Avenue in East Lansdowne on Feb 7, authorities said. The police responded to a 911 call reporting that NaKayla had been shot by her uncle, Cahn Le, according to 6abc Action News.
The call was made by the girl’s grandparents who managed to escape but when the police arrived, all hell broke loose.
Read more about the incident from 6abc Action News:
Police were immediately met by gunfire when they arrived at the scene and two officers — one from the Lansdowne Police Department and another from the East Lansdowne Police Department — were both shot. During the chaos, Upper Darby police were able to quickly grab ballistic shields and dragged the injured officers to safety.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said about 15 minutes after officers arrived, the home caught fire. The house quickly went up in flames as first responders stood back for safety reasons. Sources told Action News on Thursday that the shooter was believed to be firing from the third floor of the house.
Stollsteimer said he believes Cahn was the sixth body recovered from the home. The medical examiner is still investigating the cause and manner of the deaths, whether they died from gunfire or the burns from the house fire. And, the motive for the incident is still unknown but it left Le’s family and community shaken in horror.
“As hard as it is, we are grateful that none had to survive the other and live through such a horrific event. And know that they all died the same way they lived, which was together,” said McLaughin’s brother, Justin, at the vigil this past weekend.
“I’ve seen these kids walk to and from school. I’ve seen these kids at our community events. East Lansdowne is in pain,” said East Lansdowne Mayor Majovie Bland told reporters while visiting the scene of the incident.