PHILADELPHIA – Authorities are investigating the death of a Philadelphia firefighter who was found inside a home in Holmesburg.

What we know:

Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department responded to a property on the 4700 block of Shelmire Avenue just before 4 a.m.

Police found a 27-year-old man locked in the front porch of the home who told officers about an incident that occurred inside. 

Officers breached the front porch and entered the home where they found a 56-year-old man who was “extremely injured.”

The victim was brought to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.

Dig deeper:

While at the scene, police say the 27-year-old man informed officers that he had fatally assaulted his uncle, who was later identified as the victim, 56-year-old Antonio Rodriguez, a member of the Philadelphia Fire Department.

Firefighter Antonio Rodriguez has been a member of the Philadelphia Fire Department for 18 years. | PFD

The 27-year-old male was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Homicide Unit for further investigation. 

No one has been charged yet.

What we don’t know:

The identity of the 27-year-old has not been revealed.

The motive remains unknown at this time. 

What they’re saying:

“Today is a rough day. Definitely a rough day,” said a top official from the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD).

Rodriguez was a member of the PFD for 18 years.

A spokesperson for the department expressed heartbreak over Rodriguez’s death and asked for thoughts and prayers for his family and colleagues.

Editor’s Note: Preliminary information provided by police at the scene Wednesday morning indicated that the firefighter had been fatally shot. The cause of death is still under investigation.

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