A Philadelphia school safety officer was critically injured after being shot multiple times near Penn’s Landing, police said.
Police responded just before 2 a.m. Sunday to the 300 block of North Christopher Columbus Boulevard and found a 68-year-old man inside of his patrol vehicle belonging to the School District of Philadelphia. The victim was shot in the face, arm, and body, according to Inspector DF Pace with the Philadelphia Police Dept.
“Based on the information we have thus far, this incident may be connected to a previous incident on I-95, a road rage incident,” Pace said.
According to Pace, the road rage incident involved two other drivers. A driver in a black Dodge pick-up truck said another driver in a white Hyundai pointed a gun at them. The driver of the pick-up then got off the highway and onto Columbus Boulevard, flagging down the school safety officer to report what happened.
“At that point, the officer attempted to investigate or intervene in some way when the occupant of that Hyundai opened fire on that officer. That’s what we believe to be the case,” Pace said. “Based on what we have so far, it does appear the incidents are connected and it does appear the shooting was perpetrated by this person that originally pointed a gun at the driver.”
Philadelphia School District officials confirmed the victim was working overnight at Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, which is operating as a shelter for residents who were impacted by a recent apartment fire.
He retired from the Philadelphia Police Department after 28 years and has been with school district nearly 20 years, NBC 10 has confirmed.
Pace noted the driver who flagged down the officer is from out-of-state and may not be familiar with local law enforcement.
“It’s not out of the question that they might have mistaken a Philadelphia police for a school resource, safety officer vehicle or not knowing the connection,” he said.
Ahkeem Carter of Philadelphia said he noticed the police tape almost immediately when he was visiting the Penns Landing area Sunday, where the shooting happened.
“It’s devastating. Just got to do better around here,” Carter said.
Road rage from other drivers is something he has unfortunately experienced, he said.
“All the time. It’s normal in Philly,” he said. “It’s normal here. I can’t speak on everywhere else, but it’s normal here.”
No arrests have been made at this time.
The Philadelphia Police Department is urging anyone with information regarding this shooting to contact the Shooting Investigation Group at 215-686-8270.
Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling or texting our PPD’s tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
