Man shot dead in pizza place after possible road rage outside, Philly police say

What started as a "minor auto accident" led to a fight and deadly shooting inside a North Philadelphia pizza shop in what police said was possibly a case of road rage.

Police officers rushed to Pete's Pizza along Ridge Avenue -- near Master Street - around midnight to find a man bleeding from a gunshot wound to his head in the takeout area of the pizza place, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

Medics pronounced the 26-year-old man dead around 12:05 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, Small said.

Police began to search for clues, finding evidence that at least one shot was fired in the pizza place.

"The entire incident was captured on interior surveillance cameras, as well as exterior surveillance cameras," Small said.

"You can clearly see that there's a minor auto accident with both vehicles travelling southbound on the 2000 block of Ridge Avenue," Small said.

After the crash the shooting victim pulls over his car and the shooter pulls over his dark-colored SUV, Small said.

"You can see them talking right outside the pizza takeout," Small said.

You then see the 26-year-old man go into the pizza place and be followed by the shooter, Small said.

The two then get into a physical altercation inside the pizza shop, Small said.

"Then for some unknown reason the shooter fires one shot, possibly two shots, striking our victim in the head," Small said.

After the shooting, the gunman -- described as a man possibly in his 40s or 50s with shoulder length hair that appears to be gray dreadlocks and wearing dark clothing -- leaves the pizza place, hops back into his SUV and drives southbound on Ridge Avenue, then possibly onto Master Street," Small said.

Police later released surveillance video of the suspect and his vehicle, which they described as a dark-colored and small or mid-sized Chevrolet SUV with possible front or right front damage from the accident.

A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest. If you have any information on the suspect, please call Philadelphia police.

The deadly shooting shocked people in the neighborhood.

"A fender bender it didn't even have to go that far, you could have just talked about and exchanged information," a neighbor said. "To shoot somebody? It just doesn't make sense to me at all."

In a strange twist, Pet's is the same pizza place where Danny Matthews was shot and killed in his car just after finishing his shift as a delivery driver back in June 2024.

Despite this shooting, homicides in Philadelphia are significantly down this year, compared to last with at least 228 to date, compared to 372 in 2023. According to Philadelphia police data, this is the lowest year-to-date homicide total in a decade.

As is the case with all homicides in the city, a $20,000 reward is being offered for an arrest and conviction in this shooting. Anyone with info can call the police tipline at 215-686-8477.