Police identified a pizza delivery driver who was shot and killed in North Philadelphia Thursday night. NBC10’s Frances Wang has the latest on the shooting and speaks with a customer who lives near the pizza shop.
A pizza delivery driver who had just finished his shift was shot and killed in his car in North Philadelphia on Thursday night, police said.
The shooting happened at 9:20 p.m. along the 2000 block of Ridge Avenue near Pete's Pizza, according to investigators.
Police officers found Danny Matthews, 29, a deliver driver for Pete's, slumped over in the driver's seat of his car and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, according to investigators.
He was taken to a nearby hospital where he died a short time later, police said.
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Investigators on the scene started looking for clues.
"We know that the victim in the driver's seat of his vehicle when he got shot, the driver's door window was broken out, appeared to have been shot out," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
Police found evidence that at least six shots were fired. "Three spent shell casings were right next to the driver door of the vehicle... and three spent shell casings were actually inside of the vehicle," Small said.
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A weapon has not been recovered, however.
"It appears that the shooter was standing right next to this vehicle when shots were fired and may have even reached into the vehicle and fired shots," Small said.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
The nearby pizza place captured the shooting on surveillance video, according to police.
The driver can "clearly" be seen pulling up after making a delivery when the shooter walks right up to the car, Small said.
The suspected shooter tried to open the car door before the victim put his car in reverse to try and get away, Small told NBC10. The gunman continued to hold onto the door while the driver went in reverse, crashing into another car.
Once the car was stopped you see the shooter fire several shots, Small said.
While police determined the motive in the shooting was a robbery, the shooter didn't appear to take anything from Matthews, investigators said.
According to Small, the suspect -- who has a medium-to thin build -- was last seen wearing dark-colored clothing and a hood over his head as he fled southbound on Ridge Avenue.
If you have any information on the shooting, please call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-3334. You can also call or or text an anonymous tip to 215-686-TIPS (8477).
Entering Friday, at least 122 people have been killed in Philadelphia so far this year, according to police data. That year-to-date homicide count is down 39% from last year and the lowest since 2016.
Maleehah Ray, a regular customer at Pete's Pizza who lives near the shop told NBC10 she's still concerned about a rise in shootings as the weather gets warmer.
"It's getting worse," she said. "And now that it's getting hot outside, it's getting even worse."
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