Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — A late-night pizza delivery ended in tragedy after a 28-year-old driver was fatally shot outside a North Philadelphia housing complex moments after dropping off an order, according to police.
Investigators are now working to determine whether the delivery was part of a planned setup after discovering the order had been placed for a vacant apartment unit.
Delivery Driver Found Fatally Wounded
According to Philadelphia police, the shooting occurred at approximately 12:30 a.m. on June 6 at the Raymond Rosen Homes along the 2300 block of Edgley Street.
Officers responded to reports of gunfire in the area and discovered the delivery driver suffering from a critical injury.
Chief Inspector Scott Small said officers found the victim “lying on the ground unresponsive, bleeding heavily with a gunshot wound to his head.”
Emergency responders rushed the driver to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 1 a.m.
Authorities have not publicly released the victim’s name.
Order Was Placed to Vacant Apartment
During the investigation, detectives learned that the pizza order had been placed for a unit that was vacant.
Police say evidence found inside the apartment suggests the delivery was completed before the shooting occurred.
“From looking at the pizza boxes, we were able to identify the pizza shop,” Small said.
Reports indicated the victim worked for Pete’s Pizza.
Investigators discovered three pizza boxes and a delivery bag inside the apartment. According to authorities, the items appeared untouched.
The finding led detectives to believe the driver successfully delivered the food before walking back outside, where the fatal attack occurred.
Evidence Suggests Shooter Was Extremely Close
Police recovered three spent shell casings near the victim’s body.
Investigators believe the evidence points to the shooter being only a short distance away when the shots were fired.
“Which is an indication that the shooter or shooters were standing very, very close to the victim,” Small said.
The victim’s delivery vehicle was also found nearby with a pizza warmer still inside, further indicating that the delivery had only recently been completed before the shooting.
Surveillance Footage Reveals New Details
Authorities say surveillance cameras operated by the Philadelphia Housing Authority captured portions of the incident.
While police said the actual shooting was not recorded, investigators reviewed footage showing the victim walking with the pizza boxes shortly before the attack.
According to authorities, the driver appeared to be followed by two individuals wearing dark clothing.
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One of the individuals was reportedly carrying a dark backpack.
Detectives are now working to identify the people seen in the footage and determine whether they were involved in the deadly shooting.
Police Pursuing Key Lead
At this time, no arrests have been announced.
However, investigators say they have obtained a potentially critical piece of evidence that could help identify those responsible.
“We do have the phone number that made that pizza delivery,” Small said.
Authorities continue to investigate whether the order was intentionally placed to lure the driver to the location.
The case has raised concerns about the safety risks delivery workers can face while performing routine job duties, especially during overnight hours.
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact Philadelphia police.
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