Air Force Veteran Fatally Shot After Man Opens Fire on Philadelphia Police

A U.S. Air Force veteran-turned-police officer has died after a gunman shot him in the line of duty, according to multiple reports.

Shane Seiber, 40, a Philadelphia police officer who previously served in the Air Force, died at a hospital after he was shot while responding to a report on Saturday morning of a man with a gun in West Philadelphia, Pa., according to remarks made Saturday by Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) Commissioner Kevin Bethel.

“He fought valiantly, but he lost his life today. … This will be a period of mourning for us, but we will stand tall as a department and get through this together,” Bethel said.

Seiber is survived by his wife, a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter, Bethel said.

The suspect shot Seiber three times and police recovered two handguns and a shotgun at the scene, according to local 6ABC.

Military.com reached out to PPD for additional comment.

Pennylsvania Governor Josh Shapiro ordered flags to be flown at half-staff to honor Seiber. He wrote on X on Saturday that Seiber was “one of Pennsylvania’s finest.”

“Our law enforcement officers are the very best of us,” he wrote. “They put their lives on the line every day, running towards danger to keep their fellow Pennsylvanians safe, not knowing if they will return home. We owe them our deepest gratitude.”

NBC10 Philadelphia reported that prior to serving in the police, Seiber served at Dover Air Force Base from 2007 to 2015.

Suspect Was a Municipal Employee

The Philadelphia Inquirer identified the suspect as Eric Lewis, a 35-year-old employed by Philadelphia’s municipal water department.

Authorities charged Lewis with 76 criminal charges after firing at 11 police officers, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. They include homicide of a law enforcement officer, 10 counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, attempted murder, terroristic threats and other charges.

The outlet, citing court documents, said Lewis has a criminal history including theft and disorderly conduct charges. Military.com has not verified these records.

District Attorney Larry Krasner named Lewis as the suspect on Saturday and described the events as “a brutal, senseless, horrific killing.”

Bethel also said that Lewis shot another officer, a 33-year-old with five children who Bethel did not name. He said the officer was wounded 12 times but is in “stable” condition and receiving medical treatment.

Across the U.S. population, roughly 15,000 to 20,000 people die each year from gun homicides and unintentional shootings. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not track specific data relating to the number of veterans who die every year from gun violence.

According to public health research from Everytown Support Fund, veterans make up roughly 1 in 10 of all U.S. gun deaths (including suicides).