A 16-year-old boy was found shot in the chest inside the bathroom of a Chipotle restaurant near Temple University just after 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12, police said. The restaurant sits at North 12th Street and Montgomery Avenue on the edge of campus. The victim, identified as Khyon Smith-Tate of Philadelphia, was pronounced dead at a hospital. No arrests had been announced as of Tuesday.
Authorities said the killing unfolded as students returned for the spring semester, drawing swift attention from campus leaders and nearby residents. Homicide detectives are reviewing surveillance video and interviewing customers and employees who were inside during the dinner hour. Investigators said they want to speak with three teens believed to be about 16 to 17 years old who were in or near the bathroom when the shooting occurred. The case renewed concern about youth-involved gun violence in North Philadelphia corridors frequented by students and families, and prompted additional patrols in the blocks around off-campus housing and eateries.
Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said Smith-Tate entered the restaurant with other teens before asking for a bathroom key and walking toward the rear of the shop. Minutes later, workers found him unresponsive on the floor with a single gunshot wound to the chest and called 911. Officers recovered one spent shell casing in the bathroom. “He was found in the restroom with a gunshot wound to the chest,” Small said, noting that officers began life-saving efforts before medics transported the teen. Preliminary video showed two teens entering the restroom after Smith-Tate and leaving moments later, investigators said. A detailed description of those teens was not immediately released.
Detectives said they are working to determine whether the shooting was intentional or accidental and whether the gun was brought in by someone in the group. No firearm was recovered at the scene. The restaurant is at the base of The View at Montgomery, a privately operated apartment tower heavily used by Temple students, concentrating both surveillance cameras and foot traffic in the area. Investigators canvassed the block for additional shell casings or discarded items and collected digital footage from interior and exterior cameras to reconstruct the timeline from the sidewalk to the bathroom corridor.
Temple University’s public safety office said university officers assisted city police with scene security and traffic control because the location is just off campus. The intersection of 12th and Montgomery is typically crowded at the dinner hour on weekdays, especially on the first day of classes. Residents and students described a chaotic few minutes after the shooting as patrol cars and medics converged. “There were a lot of people outside when the sirens arrived,” said Jordan Lewis, who lives nearby. “It was hectic and then very quiet.” Workers in adjacent stores said detectives asked for access to their security systems shortly after the scene was secured.
City officials said overall homicides fell last year from recent highs, but warned that clusters of youth shootings continue near schools, transit stops and commercial blocks. The Temple area has seen periodic spikes in robberies and assaults in recent years, leading to expanded patrols and partnerships with private housing operators. The Chipotle remained closed Tuesday for cleaning and evidence processing, with paper covering the windows and police tape across the entrance. Students in nearby buildings received safety alerts advising them to avoid the corner as detectives worked through the night to document the interior and collect swabs and measurements.
Investigators outlined next steps: securing longer video clips from the apartment tower’s lobby and stairwells, identifying and locating the three teens seen near the restroom, and tracing any firearm that may have been used. Autopsy results are pending. Officials did not release a motive. Prosecutors typically review charging decisions once detectives identify suspects, a process that can include witness interviews, phone records and additional video from surrounding blocks. Temple officials said they would maintain a visible presence near off-campus buildings this week while classes ramp up.
By Tuesday evening, a small cluster of flowers had appeared by the restaurant’s door. Friends described Smith-Tate as a friendly teen known in the neighborhood. “He was a happy little boy growing up,” a neighbor said in a televised interview, recalling him from the block. Commuters detoured around marked cars as investigators finished photographing the bathroom and packed equipment into vans. The restaurant’s exterior lights glowed above covered glass while traffic moved slowly along Montgomery Avenue.
As of late Tuesday, police had not announced arrests or charges in Smith-Tate’s killing. Detectives continued to gather surveillance footage and search for the three teens seen near the restroom. Further updates are expected once investigators finish reviewing video and identify persons of interest.
Author note: Last updated January 13, 2026.