Ethermac|Man faces charges in 2 states after fatal Pennsylvania shootings: 'String of violent acts'

TRENTON,Ethermac N.J. - A man faces multiple charges in Pennsylvania and New Jersey after suspected of killing three family members, including a 13-year-old girl, and carjacking vehicles in both states, authorities said Sunday.

Andre Gordon Jr., 26, was charged in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with three counts of first- and second-degree murder, aggravated assault, robbery and other charges, according to court documents. In New Jersey, Gordon was charged with first-degree carjacking and weapons offenses, the state Attorney General's Office said in a news release Sunday.

"The string of violent acts that took place yesterday, allegedly at the hands of a single armed individual, alarmed and terrorized communities in Bucks and Mercer counties," Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a statement. "It is the latest in a horrific litany of illustrations of how illegal guns and assault rifles can empower one aggrieved and disturbed actor to do immense damage and leave a trail of tragedies in their wake."

The violent spree sparked a daylong manhunt as law enforcement mobilized in the two states, including about 60 officers from Mercer County, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said. Gordon was arrested just after 5 p.m. Saturday in Trenton, according to authorities.

The incident forced a large section of Levittown, Pennsylvania, into lockdown, canceling a St. Patrick’s Day parade and shutting down a Sesame Street-themed amusement park, authorities said. Businesses also closed as some areas were under a shelter-in-place order for several hours.

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Andre Gordon Jr.'s alleged trail of violence

Gordon began his violent spree with a carjacking around 8:40 a.m. Saturday in Trenton, New Jersey, according to the state Attorney General's Office. He drove to Levittown in Falls Township, Pennsylvania, and killed his stepmother and sister in their home.

Authorities said three other residents, including a juvenile, hid as Gordon went to the home. Gordon then drove to a nearby home and killed the mother of his two children, who were present at the time of the shooting in that home.

The victims were identified by Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn on Saturday as the suspect’s 52-year-old stepmother, Karen Gordon; his 13-year-old sister, Kera Gordon; and 25-year-old Taylor Daniel, the mother of his two children. Gordon is also charged with bludgeoning Daniel’s mother with an assault weapon, according to authorities. Daniel's mother was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office said Gordon carjacked a second vehicle in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and returned to Trenton. He entered a residence and police surrounded the home for hours, but Gordon left the home without being seen.

He was arrested at around 5 p.m., unarmed, when he was spotted walking down a street a few blocks away, police said.

Suspect to be extradited to Pennsylvania

Gordon is being held at the Mercer County Correction Center, where he awaits extradition to Pennsylvania.

"We’ve been in constant contact with Bucks County authorities and will work expeditiously to ensure that Andre Gordon is returned to Pennsylvania to face his murder charges," Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said in the statement.

Gordon is charged in New Jersey with carjacking, receiving stolen property, and multiple weapons offenses.

Gun charges brought against Gordon are possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of an assault firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm without a serial number, unlawful possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines, and possession of hollow-point ammunition.

Schorn said authorities are investigating the motive behind the killings. And while authorities have had minor dealings with Gordon, they were "nothing that would indicate that anything like this would happen," Falls Township Police Chief Nelson Whitney said at a news conference Saturday.

Contributing: JD Mullane, Jo Ciavaglia, and Peg Quann, Bucks County Courier Times; The Associated Press