Three die after fire becomes gunfight

When firefighters and police responded to a Kensington row house blaze Saturday, flames were of secondary concern. Police Department spokesman Lt. Ray Evers said that when they arrived at 3358 Rand St. around 11:45 a.m., neighbors reported they’d heard shots inside.

They found one man inside shot multiple times. When they tried to check his vital signs, another man threw debris down from atop a staircase before pulling a weapon. Police officers fired back before retreating. After firefighters controlled the fire, they found both men dead inside. Police are still investigating whether the unidentified gunman died of “two or three” gunshot wounds, smoke inhalation or the fire.

When inspectors went back to the scene last night to check whether neighboring buildings had to be condemned, they found another yet-identified body in the rubble. The other identities were being withheld pending family notification.

Evers said police “haven’t yet determined what the gunman’s relation is to anybody at the house.” The debris he threw hit firefighters. Whether the third body was a man or woman was not known last night.

Other incidents

» Two men were killed after an altercation at a Germantown bar. An off-duty police officer fatally shot a gunman who killed one patron and critically injured a bystander at MySpace Lounge around 1:30 a.m. The gunman ran, but collapsed outside Temple University Hospital, where he was declared dead at 6:04 a.m. The officer has been placed on administrative duty pending an investigation.

» Two 31-year-old men were shot in Point Breeze yesterday under unknown circumstances. One was pronounced dead, the other was “critically unstable” condition in the hours afterwards. Police were still investigating the incident in the 1500 block of S. Garnet St. last night.