Danny Matthews, a 29-year-old Black male from Philadelphia, PA, was fatally shot on June 20, 2024, in North Philadelphia. Matthews, who resided on Harlan Street, worked as a pizza delivery driver for Pete's Pizza. The incident occurred around 9:23 p.m. on the 2000 block of Ridge Avenue, near the Philadelphia Housing Authority Headquarters.
Matthews had just returned from a delivery run and was about to pick up another order when he was attacked.
Surveillance video captured the entire incident, showing the shooter approaching Matthews' Hyundai sedan and attempting to open the driver's door. In response, Matthews put his vehicle in reverse, causing it to roll about 20 to 25 feet before crashing into a parked car. The shooter held onto the door throughout this movement and began firing into the car after it crashed.
Police found Matthews unresponsive in the driver's seat of his vehicle, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds throughout his body. Philadelphia Housing Authority police officers transported him to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:31 p.m.
Investigators recovered evidence of at least six shots fired, with three spent shell casings found next to the driver's door and three more inside the vehicle. The shooter was described as standing 5'10" with a medium to thin build, last seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt pulled over his head and heading south on Ridge Avenue.
Initially, the motive for the shooting was unclear, with police considering both attempted robbery and a targeted attack. However, later reports indicated that robbery was determined to be the motive, although the suspect didn't manage to take anything from Matthews before fleeing the scene.
In a significant development, a suspect was arrested on August 7, 2024, nearly two months after the incident. The suspect was charged with murder and related offenses. As of the time of reporting, the case outcome was pending trial.
The tragic death of Danny Matthews highlighted the ongoing issue of gun violence in Philadelphia. His case was featured on the Philadelphia Obituary Project, which aims to elevate the stories of murder victims in the city and shed light on the human toll of gun violence.
