An East Vincent woman shot her neighbor Tuesday morning before barricading herself inside an apartment and shooting herself, Chester County prosecutors said.



Police responded around 6:20 a.m. to an incident at the Whitehall Apartments located at 3795 Schuylkill Road.

Investigators said the victim, who was not identified, was exiting his apartment when the woman opened fire on him. He was struck several times in the leg and back before fleeing the building. He then collapsed in a grassy area near the rear of the property.

After the shooting, the woman locked herself in her apartment and set several items inside on fire, police said. She then shot herself in the head, according to authorities. The fire was extinguished by the apartment's sprinkler system.

The man was placed in critical condition at a local hospital, while the condition of the woman was not released.

There was no immediate indication of a motive in the shooting, nor have details been released about any relationship existing between the man and woman.

"East Vincent is a very safe township," police chief Matt Williams said. "There is no ongoing threat to the community. The police and other emergency personnel immediately responded to this event to ensure the safety of the community."

Correction: an earlier version of this story described the incident as a murder-suicide. The story has been updated to reflect that the shootings were not fatal.

