PHILADELPHIA: Soccer Game Sparks Murder Outside Pat’s Cheesesteaks, Police Say

Pat’s King of Steaks in South Philadelphia, a popular tourist attraction, was the scene of yet another homicide on Wednesday night. A massive brawl broke out in which at least 10 men dressed in yellow Club América jerseys beat a man to death with a trashcan lid. Officials believe believe the Philadelphia Union’s soccer game against Club América on Wednesday night may have played a role.

Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters that a 28-year-old man was beaten to death with a metal trash can lid and pummeled in the face with kicks and punches. “We did find a trail of blood that stretched about 75-100 feet around the steak shop to where the victim finally collapsed and was pronounced dead,” Small said. The victim’s 64-year-old father and another man were also beaten and were taken to Jefferson Hospital.

Philadelphia Police said a large fight involving 10-15 people broke out outside Pat’s King of Steaksjust after 2 a.m. The attackers fled in a lightly colored SUV and have yet to be identified. Police said the victims went to Pat’s after attending the Philadelphia Union’s 2-0 loss to Club América at Subaru Park in nearby Chester, PA. Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fight but suspect sports rivalries may have factored in. Club América is based in Mexico City, Mexico.

The homicide marks the second killing in just under three months at the iconic cheesesteak shop. Pat’s King of Steaks is located directly across the street from rival Geno’s. Both restaurants are incredibly popular with tourists and attract millions of customers every year.

In July, a man was shot and killed outside Pat’s following an argument over a parking space. 36-year-old Paul C. Burkert was charged with fatally shooting 22-year-old David Padro in the back outside of the popular Philadelphia cheesesteak location. The shooter’s girlfriend was also arrested on homicide charges after helping him flee in a van.

Philadelphia has experienced a massive crime wave that has led to the worst homicide rate among America’s biggest cities. Among the country’s ten largest cities, Philadelphia now has the highest per-capita murder rate. Murder is up 17% from this time last year and roughly 33% since 2019, which at the time was the city’s deadliest year since 2007. Philadelphia’s crime wave began before a nationwide crime wave started in 2020 where violent crime rates spiked in most American cities. Critics have blamed the lax policies of Soros-linked DA Larry Krasner, who was challenged by another Democrat in the primary as a result of the crime wave. The city could potentially surpass 500 murders in 2021, surpassing a record that was set in 1990.