Officer Shane Seiber was killed and a second officer remained hospitalized after gunfire erupted during an early-morning call.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Philadelphia police Officer Shane Seiber died Saturday after he and another officer were shot multiple times while responding to a report of an armed man on a porch in West Philadelphia, authorities said.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel identified Seiber, 40, as a 10-year veteran assigned to the 19th District. Seiber was shot three times and taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he underwent surgery but later died. Bethel said Seiber was married and had two children, a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter. The second officer, a 33-year-old father of five who has not been publicly identified, was shot 12 times and was listed in stable condition later Saturday.
Police received a report shortly after 12:20 a.m. of a man with a gun on a porch in the 100 block of North 52nd Street. Seiber and the other officer arrived about 30 minutes later and came under heavy gunfire after approaching the property, according to police. Both officers were wounded on or near the porch before other officers reached them.
Additional officers and a SWAT team responded as the shooting developed. Authorities said the suspected gunman fled the immediate area and fired at other officers during the search. Those officers were not injured. Police temporarily locked down the surrounding neighborhood while searching streets, alleys and nearby properties.
The search ended after police located the suspect in a tree and took him into custody. Authorities said officers recovered two handguns and a shotgun connected to the incident. Bethel said one of the recovered handguns belonged to one of the officers who had been shot. Police have not publicly explained when or how the weapon came into the suspect’s possession.
Mayor Cherelle Parker joined police officials at the hospital as the wounded officers were treated and met with their families. City officials initially described both officers as badly wounded before announcing later Saturday that Seiber had died. Bethel said members of Seiber’s family were able to be with him before his death.
The shooting prompted a large police presence across the West Philadelphia neighborhood. Officers established a staging area near 52nd and Race streets while tactical teams searched for the suspect. Residents faced temporary restrictions as police worked to secure the area and determine whether anyone else was involved.
Investigators had not publicly established what led to the gunfire before officers arrived, why the suspect allegedly opened fire or the precise sequence in which the recovered weapons were used. Authorities also had not announced criminal charges against the person in custody. The suspect’s identity had not been officially released by police as of Saturday afternoon.
The surviving officer remained hospitalized in stable condition Saturday as investigators continued reconstructing the confrontation. Police were also examining the recovered firearms and the circumstances surrounding the handgun belonging to one of the officers. Further information about the investigation and any charges was expected from authorities as the case developed.
Author note: Last updated October 10, 2026.