Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., warned on Saturday that America could continue to see violent crime sprees like Saturday’s Pennsylvania shooting and New Jersey standoff, where a lone gunman killed three people before being taken into custody hours later.
During a segment on “Fox News Live,” Fitzpatrick discussed the tense situation and said lawmakers need to prioritize addressing mental health problems, or they would continue to see violence permeate communities across the country.
“The reality is, in America, it’s stigmatized when we talk about healthcare from the neck up,” Fitzpatrick said. “We focus on healthcare from the neck down and that needs to change. Mental health is an absolute crisis in America. It was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s being spiked due to expanded social media usage, increased drug use. A lot of these are interconnected issues.”
He added: “Until we start treating mental health issues like we do physical health in America, unfortunately, we are going to keep seeing crises like this. We have to fix it.”
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Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., called mental health “an absolute crisis” in America. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The comments came as police said 26-year-old Andre Gordon allegedly shot and killed three people in Falls Township, Pennsylvania, which falls inside the district that Fitzpatrick represents, before he fled across state lines into New Jersey, where he had a five-hour standoff with law enforcement at a residence.
During Saturday’s multi-state rampage, Gordon is accused of killing his 52-year-old stepmother, Karen Gordon, and 13-year-old sister, Kera Gordon, inside a Falls Township home.
SWAT team members at a residence in Trenton, New Jersey, where the suspected shooter barricaded himself, according to police. (FOX 29 Philadelphia)
Authorities ultimately took Gordon into custody in Trenton, New Jersey, after he surrendered to law enforcement.
“The suspect has been located at another location in Trenton, and he surrendered peacefully,” Detective Lt. Lisette Rios of the Trenton Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Fitzpatrick shared that Gordon was taken into custody on the social media site X.
Police activity along Viewpoint Lane in Falls Township on Saturday. A shooting there canceled events and closed businesses in the Levittown area. (JD Mullane / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Andre Gordon, 26, was arrested Saturday after allegedly gunning down three people in Falls Township, Pa. (Falls Township Police Department)
“Moments ago, Andre Gordon was apprehended after a manhunt that lasted all morning and into the late afternoon. On a day where our Lower Bucks community celebrates our proud Irish heritage, Andre shocked our region by selfishly and abhorrently taking the lives of 3 individuals who have been confirmed to be his very own family,” he wrote.
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Fitzpatrick applauded the efforts of the various law enforcement entities involved.
“From the onset, we had federal law enforcement, first responders from all over Bucks County, and units from Philadelphia and New Jersey answer the call to track down this perpetrator. We are incredibly grateful for their swift response in ensuring that all parade participants were safely evacuated, residents remained sheltered in place, and we are grateful for their swift pursuit,” Fitzpatrick wrote.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., applauded the efforts of the various law enforcement entities that helped get the suspected shooter to surrender. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
“These individuals displayed heroic courage by stepping up instantly and for putting our safety before theirs. As we continue to investigate what happened today, let us pray for the 3 Bucks County residents we lost today and pray for all of those impacted by this tragedy,” he continued.
Three other people, including a minor, were inside the home at the time.
He then fled to another home, where he is accused of shooting and killing 25-year-old Taylor Daniel, who was the mother of their two kids, at another home in the area. Four others inside the home survived.