Investigators said the shooter fled the Princeton Avenue Boat Launch on a jet ski after firing into a pickup truck.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A 30-year-old man was shot and killed Sunday evening at the Princeton Avenue Boat Launch in Northeast Philadelphia’s Tacony section, where police said a gunman opened fire near the Delaware River and fled on a jet ski.
The killing turned a busy waterfront access point into a homicide scene as officers searched for a suspect, guarded a white pickup truck and gathered evidence near the boat ramp. Police said the victim was found in the front seat of the truck with a jet ski attached. No arrest had been announced by Monday morning, and investigators had not released the victim’s name or a motive.
The shooting happened around 5 p.m. Sunday at the boat launch on Princeton Avenue, a public access point along the Delaware River in Tacony. Police said the victim was sitting in his truck when the shooter approached and fired several times. Captain Timothy Stephan of the Philadelphia Police Department said the man was shot in the head and back. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene at 5:07 p.m. The location drew a large police response as officers closed off the ramp area and moved people away from the crime scene. The shooting happened while other people were using the waterfront, and police began checking for witnesses who may have seen the gunman before or after the attack.
Investigators focused on the white pickup truck and the attached jet ski as part of the scene. Police said the shooter left the area on a jet ski, a detail that widened the search beyond nearby streets and parking areas. Officers interviewed witnesses, reviewed what happened at the ramp and looked for evidence that could show where the shooter went after leaving the launch. Police did not say whether the victim and shooter knew each other. They also did not say whether any weapon had been recovered. The man’s identity was being withheld pending notification of relatives. Officials said the investigation remained active, and homicide detectives were assigned to determine what led to the gunfire.
The Princeton Avenue Boat Launch sits near the Delaware River in Tacony, a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood with homes, commercial corridors and riverfront access points near the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge area. The ramp is used by boaters and people hauling personal watercraft, placing the shooting in a public place where vehicles, trailers and water access are common. Police said the victim’s truck was near the ramp when he was shot. The location made the investigation unusual because the suspect was reported to have escaped by water rather than only by road. Detectives were left to review both land and riverfront routes while working to establish a timeline of the suspect’s movements.
Police had not announced charges or named a suspect as of Monday morning. The case remained in the hands of Philadelphia homicide investigators, who were expected to continue reviewing witness accounts, physical evidence from the truck and ramp area, and any video from nearby businesses, homes or public spaces. Officials did not release a suspect description in early reports beyond saying the shooter was male. The next steps include identifying the victim, confirming whether the shooting was targeted and determining how the shooter arrived at and left the boat launch. Police also must determine whether the jet ski used in the escape belonged to the shooter, the victim or someone else.
The shooting left bystanders blocked from the ramp area while detectives processed the scene. People who had parked nearby or had vehicles inside the closed area were kept away until police cleared parts of the launch. News video from the scene showed police tape, patrol vehicles and investigators working near the riverfront. Stephan said medics pronounced the victim at the scene after finding him with multiple wounds. The short statement from police left several major questions unanswered, including what happened in the moments before the gunfire and whether the shooter waited for the victim or came upon him at the ramp. The Delaware River setting added another challenge for investigators trying to follow the suspect’s escape route.
By Monday, the victim’s name had not been released, no arrest had been reported and police had not announced a motive. The next public milestone in the case will be any update from homicide detectives on the suspect, the victim’s identity or evidence recovered from the boat launch.
Author note: Last updated June 8, 2026.