Man Admits To Fatally Assaulting Firefighter Uncle: Philly Police

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia authorities identified the firefighter who was killed early Wednesday morning, and said his nephew admitted to fatally assaulting him.

Antonio Rodriguez, a 56-year-old member of the Philadelphia Fire Department, was pronounced dead at 4:13 a.m. Wednesday, Philadelphia Police said.

A man identified as the 27-year-old nephew of Rodriguez told police he fatally assaulted his uncle.

Police were called to the 4700 block of Shelmire Avenue for a report of a disturbance involving a person with a gun at about 3:51 a.m. Wednesday.

When officers arrived, they found the 27-year-old man behind a locked security gate enclosing the front porch.

After getting inside, officers found an unresponsive man, later identified as Rodriguez, inside the residence with no visible signs of injury.

The 27-year-old man told police he had fatally assaulted Rodriguez.

The man was taken into custody without incident and taken to the Homicide Unit for further investigation. The investigation remains active and ongoing.

"The Philadelphia Fire Department is heartbroken over the death of one of our members overnight," the fire department said in a social media post. We are working closely with the Philadelphia Police Department as they investigate. We ask that everyone keep the member's family and our colleagues in your thoughts as we process this tragedy."