Mother killed reportedly during a post-Christmas child custody swap in Upper Darby
Three children were in the vehicle when the woman was killed, reportedly by the father who then shot himself, according to police.
A woman was killed in front of her three children reportedly by their father who then shot himself during a custody transfer early Friday afternoon in Upper Darby.
Shortly after 1 p.m., Upper Darby police posted on social media that a man and woman had been found shot. Just after 6 p.m., Upper Darby police posted an update that the double shooting at Copley Road and Locust Street was “another senseless act of domestic violence.”
Officers responded to a 911 call for a shooting at the location and found the woman seated in the driver’s seat of a vehicle with a gunshot wound. Lifesaving measures were attempted but unsuccessful for the woman, police said.
The man was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition on life support, police said.
“Three children were inside the vehicle at the time of the incident,” the Upper Darby police said. “All three are safe and have been reunited with family.”
Police Superintendent Timothy M. Bernhardt told the Delaware County Daily Times that the woman was 34 and the man is 45.
Bernhardt told the Daily Times: “What we know through investigation so far is that the female was there picking up children. There’s a custody order in place. The male had the children for Christmas, he walked up to the car with the children, the children got into the vehicle, there was some type of an argument, exchange of words, he pulled out a handgun and shot her … got out of the vehicle and then shot himself.”