Police: Suspect wanted in connection with homicide fatally shot by officers in E. Mt. Airy [updated]

One man is dead and another is in critical condition after a police-involved shooting Monday afternoon in East Mount Airy.

According to police, at approximately 1:11 p.m., officers were in the vicinity of the 200 block of East Montana St. near Musgrave St. to arrest two suspects wanted in connection to a recent homicide in North Philadelphia.

With police nearby, the suspects reportedly tried to flee through the rear of a home on Musgrave Street, shooting at police in the attempt.

Chief Inspector Dennis Wilson said that police returned fire multiple times, striking the two suspects who were described as being step-brothers.

One was pronounced dead at the scene; the second, reportedly shot five times, was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center where he was said to be alert and talking, despite his condition.

No police were injured.

At the scene on Monday afternoon, Wilson was mum about details about the investigation, but said that it was a joint effort between Philadelphia Police and the FBI.

“These were two dangerous suspects that we wanted to get off the streets,” said Wilson.

4:30 p.m. Update

The department’s ranking spokesman, Lt. John Stanford, told NewsWorks that officers and members of FBI violent-crimes task force went to the area looking for the pair in connection with “a number of shootings and homicides.”

The suspects, whose names are not being released pending next-of-kin notification, “immediately started shooting at officers,” who returned fire, killing one at the scene.

“They made it very clear from the beginning, based on information we were given last week, that they were not going to go down easily, that they were armed and ready to go,” he said.

Investigators are currently working to compile a final number of cases allegedly linked to the pair but Stanford said that number will reach “at least a dozen jobs, homicides and shootings. They were a dynamic duo.”

6 a.m. Tuesday Update

According to NBC10, police had linked the pair, a 21-year-old and 19-year-old Justin Mackie, to six homicides and “the robbery and shooting of 53-year-old William Carney III back on June 4.”

“I picked them up,” Carney told the station. “I thought they were regular customers. At they end of the ride they pulled the pistol out on me. It seemed like they really wanted to kill me. … They said I almost died. They said if I hadn’t tied the tourniquet on my own arm after the shooting that I would have bled out. So I’m really grateful that didn’t happen.”