by KYW's Hadas Kuznits, Mark Abrams, and Ian Bush
Police believe the body pulled from the Schuylkill River Wednesday morning is the man wanted in a shooting Tuesday night that left four people -- including a Philadelphia cop -- wounded.
The body was identified as 29-year-old Jerome Whitaker of the 1900 block of Carpenter Street in South Philadelphia, according to Officer Raul Malviero of the police public affairs division.
Police say they believe Whitaker jumped into the river after fleeing the Center City shooting scene.
Officer Mario Santiago, an 18-year veteran of the force, was on patrol when he was dispatched to 15th and Sansom Streets just before 10:30 Tuesday night to investigate a report of gunshots.
Three people -- two men and a woman -- had been shot.
After a brief chase, the gunman -- who was wearing a mask -- got out of his vehicle and approached the squad car, firing twice through the window and hitting Santiago once in the right shoulder.
Police have recovered the suspected weapon used in the shooting. All four victims were taken to Jefferson Hospital. The wounded officer was listed in fair condition as of Wednesday afternoon. Two other victims were listed in critical condition and a third, a woman, was treated and released. The motive for the multiple shooting was not immediately known.
Officer Mario Santiago was the second Philadelphia police officer hospitalized this week after being shot by a suspect (see related story) -- until, that is, yet another officer was shot later Wednesday morning (see related story).
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