Man shoots fiancee's father with high-power rifle in Bustleton

Gunfire from an assault rifle cut through the air of a quiet street in Bustleton Thursday night, the result of what a police source said was a domestic dispute.

Just after 7:30 p.m., officers responding to several calls for shots fired found a 57-year-old man collapsed outside a home on Alton Street near Surrey Road, a residential block where such violence is virtually unheard of.

He had been shot in his abdomen and arm, and was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

It's unclear if he'll survive.

On the way to the hospital, the victim told police that his shooter was still lurking in a driveway behind the house.

When police investigated, they found a 26-year-old man wielding an assault rifle, Small said. The man surrendered immediately, and was taken into custody without incident.

In that rear driveway, investigators found evidence of a heated gun battle: The shooter apparently fired nearly 30 shots from his rifle, which Small described as a "very powerful weapon."

At one point during the violence, the shooter apparently paused to reload his weapon, as officers found an empty magazine lying in the alley.

Nearby homes were raked by the bullets, including one residence that was hit 20 times, Small said.

Though those homes were occupied, no one else was injured in the shootout.

Small said an argument between the two men prompted the shooting, but it was unclear what it was over.

Tonight, a police source confirmed that the men are neighbors and share one other, more personal connection: The shooter is engaged to the victim's daughter.

Multiple witnesses are being interviewed by detectives from Northeast Division as police continue their investigation.