A 16-year-old student was shot and killed inside the bathroom of a Chipotle restaurant near Temple University’s campus in North Philadelphia on Monday evening, January 12, authorities said. The victim, identified as Khyon Smith-Tate, was found with a gunshot wound to the chest just after 5 p.m. during the dinner rush on what was the first day of Temple’s spring semester.
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said Smith-Tate entered the Chipotle at 12th and Montgomery streets with three other teenagers shortly before 5:15 p.m. Only three of the four walked out. The restaurant was packed with customers at the time.
“It was very noisy at the time, and there was even some music playing, but we’re not getting information that someone heard a gunshot,” Small said.
According to police sources, the teens asked employees for the bathroom code. Two went into one restroom while the other two went into another. A short time later, three teenagers left the restaurant. A Chipotle employee discovered Smith-Tate moments afterward, and police pronounced him dead at 5:24 p.m.
“Not only did we find the victim in the bathroom, we found one spent shell casing. So, at least one shot was fired from a semi-automatic weapon,” Small said.
Police recovered the shell casing inside the bathroom, but have not recovered a weapon. Several people inside the restaurant were held for questioning, though authorities have not made any arrests.
Investigators believe they know the identities of the three other teenagers who were with Smith-Tate and are not seeking additional suspects. Police described the three as boys between 16 and 17 years old. The first was last seen wearing a black coat, pink hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants, and black sneakers while carrying a red backpack. The second wore a black coat, black jeans, and black sneakers with a black backpack. The third had dreadlocks and wore a black coat, blue hooded sweatshirt, black pants, and black sneakers with a dark-colored backpack.
A $20,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Anyone with information can call Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
The Chipotle sits on the ground floor of The View at Montgomery apartments, steps from Temple’s Student Center and TECH Center. Smith-Tate’s last known address was just eight blocks from the shooting location on the 2500 block of North Hutchinson Street.
Smith-Tate was a student at Imhotep Institute Charter High School. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner visited both the family’s home and the school on Tuesday, where his office’s trauma-care professionals led grief trauma healing circles.
“I just came here to express my condolences to the family who are unquestionably suffering right now,” Krasner said.
Imhotep leaders released a statement describing Smith-Tate as “caring, energetic, filled with school pride and comical” with “a very, very good heart.”
Temple University President John Fry and Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Jennifer Griffin issued a joint statement expressing condolences to the victim’s family.
The shooting rattled students returning for their first day of classes after winter break.
Chipotle released a statement saying the company was “heartbroken” by the incident and hoped those responsible would be “apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The restaurant remained closed the next day while police continued their investigation. The company said it was offering counseling services to workers at the location.
Jesús Lucero, a Chipotle employee who was off work at the time, said he received messages from co-workers about the shooting. “No one actually knows how it happened. But the crew members are OK. Everyone that’s working was OK,” Lucero said.
Temple sophomore Mauricio Gonzalez said the area often draws crowds of teenagers after school. “Like a big crowd or something on the streets, I don’t know what neighborhood they come from, but it’s usually in the afternoon after school,” Gonzalez said.
Investigators are now looking into whether the fatal shooting may have been unintentional. A law enforcement source told the Philadelphia Inquirer that detectives are examining the possibility that the teens were filming a social media video or handling a gun when it discharged, striking Smith-Tate. The source said the three teens are all close friends of the victim, but notably, none of them called for help after the shooting — they left the restaurant without alerting staff or emergency services. Police have identified all three teens and are reviewing cell phone data and witness statements as part of the ongoing investigation.
Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore confirmed that investigators have had some level of contact with the other teenagers. No arrests or charges have been filed as of Feb. 1.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said the investigation would take time to unravel, noting, “It’s not uncommon that it’s unclear in the beginning, and usually, sifting through all the evidence, we get more certainty.” The case remains under active investigation by the Homicide Unit.
