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Police identify the man shot and killed by officers on July 4th after he allegedly fired at them

Ricardo Sosa, 40, emerged from a Fairhill residence shooting a handgun at police officers who were responding to a report of a person with a gun, police said.

File photo of Philadelphia Police.
File photo of Philadelphia Police. Read moreAlejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

Philadelphia police have identified the man whom officers shot and killed on July Fourth after they say he began firing at them with a handgun.

Ricardo Sosa, 40, was shot after he emerged from a residence in the city’s Fairhill neighborhood and fired at a group of officers, police said. He was later pronounced dead.

Four officers from the 25th District were responding to a report of a person with a gun on the 2900 block of North Lawrence Street around 6 p.m. when someone began firing at the officers from a lot next to the home, police said. The gunfire continued from inside the home while officers took cover, and moments later, Sosa came out of the residence firing at them, police said.

» READ MORE: Man fatally shot by Philadelphia police after allegedly firing at officers during July 4th domestic incident call

Police returned fire at Sosa as he got into the driver’s side of an unoccupied police vehicle and attempted to drive away. Sosa fell to the ground and was transported to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m.

None of the responding officers was injured during the shooting. Police recovered a 9mm handgun from the passenger-side floor of the police vehicle that Sosa had entered.

All four officers, who ranged in experience from two years on the police force to nine, have been placed on administrative duty while the incident is under investigation. Three of the officers activated their body cameras during the incident.