Khyon Smith-Tate was shot to death inside a Chipotle bathroom near Temple University on Monday evening, January 12, 2026. The 16-year-old was found by an employee just after 5 p.m. during the dinner rush with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Smith-Tate entered the crowded restaurant on the 1100 block of Montgomery Avenue with three other teenagers. He and one friend asked for the bathroom key or code and went inside together while the other two teens used a second restroom. About 15 minutes later, restaurant workers discovered Smith-Tate suffering from the fatal wound. He was pronounced dead at 5:24 p.m.
The shooting happened on Temple’s first day back from winter break when the Chipotle was packed with students returning to campus. “We’re getting information that the 16-year-old victim was inside with at least one other juvenile male,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters. “They asked for keys to the restroom, and that’s when they both went in.”
Police found one spent shell casing in the bathroom. Despite the restaurant being “very noisy” with music playing, no customers reported hearing gunshots.
The investigation has taken an unexpected turn. Sources tell the Philadelphia Inquirer that detectives believe the shooting may have been unintentional – possibly occurring while teens were filming a social media video or playing with a gun. Police have identified all three friends who were with Smith-Tate and are reviewing cell phone data and surveillance footage to determine what happened inside that bathroom.
What troubles investigators most is what happened next. The three friends left Smith-Tate dying on the bathroom floor without calling for help. Surveillance video shows the teen who was with Smith-Tate leaving the restroom alone, then walking out with the other two. Restaurant workers didn’t discover the wounded teenager until 15 minutes later.
Smith-Tate lived just eight blocks away on the 2500 block of North Hutchinson Street. He was a student at Imhotep Institute Charter High School, where officials remembered him as “caring, energetic, filled with school pride and comical.” The school’s statement, signed by CEO Andre Noble and Principal Jury Segers, said “he was filled with light and love.”
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner visited both Smith-Tate’s family and his school on Tuesday, leading grief counseling circles for students and staff.
Temple University sent emergency alerts warning students to avoid the area. The university encouraged affected students to seek support through Tuttleman Counseling Services.
Students grappled with the violence hitting so close to a place they frequent daily. “A lot of students eat here. A lot of people gather at Chipotle,” said Temple senior Chikondi Rose. Freshman Finn Glenn called it “really sad to hear” about a young person being found dead in the bathroom.
The Chipotle, located on the ground floor of The View at Montgomery apartments, remains closed during the investigation. Company officials said they were heartbroken by the incident and were cooperating fully with the Philadelphia Police Department. The chain is providing professional counseling services to all restaurant employees.
If confirmed as accidental, Smith-Tate would join a growing list of Philadelphia children shot by mishandled guns. Just last month, a 14-year-old was seriously wounded when another teen accidentally shot him while playing with a weapon. Last year, 12-year-old Ethan Parker died after his neighbor accidentally fired a gun while recording a song.
Authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Anyone with details can call Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS. Smith-Tate is the first child under 18 killed by gunfire in Philadelphia this year, following a 2025 that saw near-historic lows in homicides.