Man Shoots, Kills Would-Be Robber in Front of South Philly Home, Police Say

A man out front of his South Philadelphia home smoking a cigarette "turned the tables" on an armed robber who hopped off his bike to rob the man late Wednesday night.

"It looked like a robbery victim, at this time, turned the tables on a would-be robber and shot him in the head," Philadelphia Police Department Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

The incident took place just before 11:30 p.m. along South 6th Street near Moyamensing Avenue, police said.

Police officers arrived to find a man on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to his head, Small said. That 30-year-old man later died at the hospital.

The 24-year-old shooter remained on the scene and spoke to police, Small said.

The man who shot the would-be robber told police that he was in front of his home smoking a cigarette when a guy on a bike rode up, pointed a gun at him and "announced a robbery," police said.

The resident then pulled his own gun, which he has a license to carry, and shot the other man in the head, police said. After being shot, the would-be robber still managed to fire a shot or two, the resident told police.

Police found evidence of at least one shot being fired and recovered two guns, Small said.

No charges were filed early Thursday morning as police continued to investigate the shooting.

What Philadelphia police term "justifiable homicides" have been rising in the city each year since at least 2017, according to figures provided to NBC10 by the PPD. The figures show eight justifiable homicides in 2017. In 2021, there were 19, according to the PPD.

Thus far this year, the department has recorded seven of those types of killings, excluding the South Philadelphia killing and others still under investigation.