July 02, 2026
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Philadelphia police fatally shot an armed man outside St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, above, on Thursday morning, police say.
A Philadelphia police officer shot and killed an armed man Thursday morning outside St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in North Philadelphia, authorities said.
Police received a call shortly before 10:30 a.m. about "an irate male with some issues going on" at the hospital, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel told reporters outside the hospital after the shooting.
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At a news conference Thursday night, Bethel provided updates on the investigation. Police learned that the man who was killed Thursday had gone to St. Christopher's on Wednesday and was asked to leave the hospital after an undisclosed incident. The man returned to St. Christopher's on Thursday morning, but was not allowed in by security guards, Bethel said. Earlier, investigators believed the man had entered the hospital.
"At no time did he threaten the staff or threaten anyone," Bethel said. "In fact, they said he was compliant in that process."
After the man left, police received a call from a relative advising that the man was a threat to himself and that he had access to weapons. Two officers went to the hospital within minutes and confronted the man at a bus stop on the south side of Erie Avenue, where he was with his girlfriend, Bethel said.
"At that point, before (the officers) could even begin to engage him and have a conversation, he is already pulling the weapon as the officer is exiting the passenger side of the vehicle," Bethel said.
One officer opened fire, striking the man and grazing his girlfriend with a bullet.
The man was taken to Temple University Hospital and died a short time later. His name has not been released. Bethel said the woman is expected to survive her injuries.
Police said the man never fired his gun, and authorities are still investigating what caused the man's distress.
"It really is a tragic event unfolding," Bethel said earlier Thursday. "We're still trying to sort it out. Clearly, this individual may have been going through some kind of mental issue or some mental breakdown. We have a lot to sort out as to what got him here and how we got here."
The name of the officer who shot the man has not been released as of Thursday night. Police did not say how many shots were fired. The officer has been placed on administrative duty until an internal investigation is completed. There were no injuries to police.
Bethel said the man's gun was recovered at the scene, and he said the department wishes the situation had played out differently.
"Unfortunately in these cases, even if we have a crisis response team there, an individual with a gun, and particularly someone who's suicidal, is one of the most dangerous individuals an officer can encounter," Bethel said. "...You would maybe hope that you would be able to talk, that the officer would have been able to get out of the car and engage the individual."
A lockdown that went into effect at St. Christopher's was lifted Thursday afternoon
"The individual involved in the shooting never entered the hospital," St. Christopher's Hospital for Children said in a statement."Our Public Safety Team immediately initiated established safety protocols, including a temporary lockdown of the hospital. The lockdown has since been lifted, and our patients and team members are safe. All entrances are open as we continue to welcome patients."
