A switch, which is a device that alters the trigger to continuously fire, was likely used during the Memorial Day mass shooting in Fairmount Park that killed two people and left nine injured, police said on Tuesday.
According to a firearm expert, Glock switches can make a firearm more powerful and deadly by the second, giving a handgun a level of firepower usually reserved for the battlefield.
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"It's a firearm that is capable of inflicting more damage more quickly," Dr. Mike Anestis of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. "You hear about this in mass shootings or mass casualties even though there has been a decent amount of effort to regulate them."
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SIGN UP Switches are illegal in the U.S., but are being obtained illegally in the U.S. via means like 3-D printers, officials said.
A local anti gun violence organization, PAAN, says officials need to make it more difficult for civilians to get possession of the illegal devices.
"Unfortunately, that kind of conduct isn’t relegated to the summer," said George Moslee, the executive director of PANN. "When people are outside, and you have one amongst us ago who isn’t looking to enjoy life, but is looking to ruin someone else's life, then we are all in jeopardy."
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Since the shooting, PAAN says it is doing its best to reach out to the victims impacted by the tragedy.
Although the weapons used in the shooting have yet to be recovered, investigators believe a switch was used, based off of analysis of social media posts of the tragedy, said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel.
“We’re pretty confident, even though we don’t have the weapon in hand, that a switch was involved," he said.
Police have also not confirmed how many firearms were used in the shooting, but they said they found evidence of at least 21 shots being fired from three separate guns.
The nine people injured are all listed in stable condition, officials said.
No suspects have been arrested in the shooting. However, the investigation is ongoing and police say they hope that the number of people at the park at the time of the shooting ultimately leads to information that helps them find the perpetrators.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Philadelphia Police Department's tip hotline at at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
