Philadelphia Officer Shane Seiber Killed, Second Officer Shot 12 Times in West Philadelphia Ambush; Suspect Charged

**Updated 13:50 UTC.** A police procession was held Saturday for Officer Seiber, and a memorial page has been set up in his name, NBC10 Philadelphia reports. Commissioner Bethel said the department is entering a period of mourning: "This will be a period of mourning for us, but we will stand tall as a department and get through this together." District Council 33 president Greg Boulware called the shooting "heartbreaking" and "deeply troubling," and said the union will cooperate fully with the investigation. Court records show Lewis had prior arrests for gun, drug and assault charges between 2013 and 2020. This is a developing story.

**Updated 10:35 UTC.** District Attorney Larry Krasner announced that Eric Lewis, 35, will face roughly 80 charges for the ambush on Philadelphia police officers. The charges include homicide of a law enforcement officer and murder in Seiber's killing, plus 10 counts each of attempted homicide and attempted murder tied to the other officers. Lewis is being held without bail. Police recovered a shotgun and two handguns from the suspect, including a weapon taken from one of the wounded officers. Lewis, a Philadelphia Water Department employee, was found in a tree and taken into custody. He did not sustain serious injuries. Krasner said Lewis has prior convictions for assault, theft, and carrying a firearm publicly. This is a developing story.

What happened

Just after midnight on Saturday, October 10, two Philadelphia police officers answered a report of a man with a gun on a porch in the 100 block of North 52nd Street in West Philadelphia. As the officers climbed the steps to a porch enclosed by an iron fence, the gunman opened fire on them.

Officer Shane Seiber, 40, was struck three times. The second officer was shot 12 times. Both were rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and underwent surgery. Seiber, a 10-year veteran of the force, died Saturday morning. The second officer, a 33-year-old father of five, is in stable condition, though police say he is not out of the woods.

During the shooting, the gunman took a weapon from one of the wounded officers lying in the entryway. The gunfire drew more officers to the block, and the shooter fired at nine additional officers as they arrived. None were struck.

SWAT was dispatched. Officers found the suspect, identified as 35-year-old Eric Lewis, in a tree and took him into custody, recovering a shotgun and two handguns, including the weapon taken from the wounded officer.

What officials said

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel identified the fallen officer at a mid-morning news conference. "He fought valiantly, but he lost his life today," Bethel said. "His wife was able to be by his side before he passed, as well as his family."

Bethel said Seiber leaves behind his wife and two children, a 7-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl.

District Attorney Larry Krasner called the killing "a brutal, senseless, horrific killing." He said Lewis shot at a total of 11 law enforcement officers.

Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered flags to fly at half-staff for Seiber. Mayor Cherelle Parker is calling on the governor and the Pennsylvania attorney general to expand involuntary commitment laws to cover substance use disorder and other behavioral challenges, not just severe mental illness.

What's next

Lewis is being held without bail and will face a preliminary hearing soon. The Water Department union confirmed he worked there and said it will cooperate with the investigation. No motive has been released. Police have not said where the suspect was positioned when the shooting began.

The violence comes one day after a mass shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, where nine people were killed. The investigation into the ambush is still in its early hours.