Images from the scene show the almost total destruction of the house, with just its external walls remaining. It’s unclear when the fire began. Officials said that firefighters were unable to stop the blaze because of the active shooter situation.
“Officers were taking gunfire,” Stollsteimer said Wednesday. “Police officers and the fire department who were out there, there was still shots coming out at the beginning of this fire scene.”
Where the investigation stands now
As of Thursday morning, authorities were trying to safely enter the destroyed home to discover and recover any bodies, Stollsteimer said.
“There’s nobody alive in that house right now. Anybody who is in there is deceased. The question is how many people are in there and how long it’s going to take us to safely go in and recover the bodies,” he said Thursday. “It’s also a crime scene. We’re aware of that, as well. There may never be any charges filed if the person who was the shooter is also deceased.”
It’s unclear whether anyone other than the Le family was at the home at the time.
“They’re all unaccounted-for at this point. Our fear is that they were inside that home,” he said.
Huong V. Le, 74, told NBC News on Thursday that he is the owner of the burned home and that his two adult sons live there with a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren — a boy and two girls.
He said that he didn’t know what happened regarding the shooting and the fire and that he visits the home at times but lives in another area.
Asked whether there were any issues among the occupants, he said, “I don’t know.”
What’s left of the home is utter destruction: The roof collapsed, walls are gone, and there are multiple feet of water in the basement, Stollsteimer said.
“It’s really unstable,” he said.
The William Penn School District said in a statement Thursday: “We are at a loss regarding the horrific tragedy that happened in East Lansdowne yesterday and how that has affected our community. We are still awaiting additional information as this is an ongoing police investigation.”
It’s unclear whether any residents of the home attended school in the district, but the district said it was providing support to staff members and students.