A police officer lost his life while another officer was injured during a shooting at the Philadelphia International Airport late Thursday night, officials say.
The shooting took place at around 11 p.m. Thursday, NBC10 reported, citing investigators. The two officers had just started their shift and were patrolling along the airport parking grounds. After the pair parked their vehicle in the garage, they started scanning the surroundings and spotted a group of individuals allegedly attempting to break into another vehicle in the airport’s parking lot.
A confrontation took place as the two officers approached the scene, according to NBC10. The 50-year-old officer was fatally shot while the other, 60-year-old, officer sustained injuries. Philadelphia’s interim police commissioner John Stanford addressed the media in a late-night press conference. (RELATED: Milwaukee Police Officer And Suspect Shot And Killed In Confrontation)
Terminal D and the Terminal D parking garage at #PHLAirport are currently closed due to an ongoing Philadelphia Police investigation. Updates will be shared as they are available. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for flight status updates. pic.twitter.com/ipSe1u59Wm
— PHLAirport (@PHLAirport) October 13, 2023
The 50-year-old police officer was shot multiple times in the torso, according to NBC10. He was rushed to the Penn Presbyterian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:34 p.m. The 60-year-old officer was transported to Jefferson Hospital with at least one shot to his arm, where he was reportedly listed in stable condition as of Friday morning. The authorities have not disclosed the names of the officers involved in the shooting to give the family time to inform other relatives.
“As you can imagine, heartbroken, devastated, that their family member is not coming home tonight,” Stanford said.
“You can imagine what we feel,” Stanford added. “You can imagine what this department is going through and quite frankly how the city should be feeling to know that this has happened to two of the men that have served for 20 plus years and ultimately one giving his life tonight for the city of Philadelphia.”