Three suspects remain at large after a 16-year-old boy was found shot dead in the bathroom of a Chipotle restaurant in Philadelphia, according to police.
Authorities arrived at a Chipotle near Temple University in North Philadelphia on Monday evening to find the boy, later identified as Khyon Smith-Tate, inside the bathroom with a gunshot wound to the chest, according to local outlets. It was the first day of classes for the university’s spring semester.
Police say Smith-Tate was in the Chipotle with three other teens during the dinner rush. Smith-Tate and another minor had asked for the keys to the bathroom, Philadelphia Police Department Chief Inspector Scott Small said, per CBS Philadelphia. The teen was found shot by employees moments later.
“It was very noisy at the time, and there was even some music playing, but we’re not getting information that someone heard a gunshot,” Small said, per WPVI.
One spent shell casing from a semiautomatic weapon was recovered inside the bathroom, but the gun was not found, CBS Philadelphia reported.
“He’s a kid. It’s terrifying,” Cloud Mensah, a Temple freshman, told WPVI. “For it to happen on the first day of class so suddenly, you know kind of worry about the security.”
The motive for the shooting is unclear. Police are on the hunt for three suspects, all aged about 16 to 17 years old.
A person of interest was taken into police custody near the Chipotle, but it’s unclear if they are being considered as a suspect or a witness, Small told NBC10.
“The loss of life to gun violence is a profound tragedy, and there are no words that can make sense of it,” Temple University President John Fry and Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Jennifer Griffin said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and loved ones.”
Chipotle said it was “heartbroken by the tragic incident and we hope the individuals responsible are apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The food chain said they are cooperating with investigators and the restaurant will be closed amid the investigation.
Imhotep Institute Charter High School, where Smith-Tate went to school, released a statement, calling the boy “caring, energetic, filled with school pride and comical.”
“As one can imagine, we are struggling today. Our collective hearts are hurting. But this community is resilient. Our love and our African-centered values will lead us through this tragedy,” school leaders said.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner called the trauma young people experience from shootings “unacceptable.”
“We will not accept this as normal for our kids and babies,” Krasner said.
The Independent has reached out to the Philadelphia Police Department for updates.
