A Philadelphia police officer was killed and another officer was seriously wounded in an ambush shortly after midnight Saturday. The officers had responded to reports of a person with a gun when both were shot multiple times.

The officers were rushed to a hospital for surgery following the attack, according to FOX 29. The violence left one officer dead and the other facing serious wounds after being struck by gunfire 12 times.

The officer who died was identified as Shane Seiber, a 40 year old husband and father. Seiber was shot three times and did not survive surgery, according to a report from 6 ABC.

Seiber’s wife and other family members were able to reach the hospital before he died. They were with him during his final moments after the midnight response turned into a deadly ambush.

The fallen officer leaves behind two young children, a 7 year old son and a 3 year old daughter. His death brought a devastating conclusion to what began as a police response to reports of an armed person.

The second officer was shot 12 times during the same ambush and was described as seriously wounded. Like Seiber, that officer was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery after the attack.

The number of shots that struck both officers showed the severity of the assault. Seiber was hit three times, while the second officer was hit four times that number during the encounter.

After the shooting, the suspect fled the scene rather than immediately surrendering. The suspect then climbed into a tree and attempted to hide as officers worked to bring the situation under control.

The effort to evade police eventually ended without the suspect remaining in the tree. The suspect climbed down and surrendered to SWAT officers, bringing the immediate search following the ambush to an end.

The surrender came only after one officer had been fatally wounded and another had suffered 12 gunshot wounds. Both officers had gone into surgery, but Seiber did not make it through the operation.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel responded by praising the officers who continue to enter dangerous situations. His remarks focused on the risks taken by the department’s men and women and the sacrifices they make while doing the job.

Bethel said, “I am so damn proud of the men and women who serve in this department. Consistently, they go into danger, and they give their lives for this job.”

The commissioner also appealed for prayers and public support for the officers serving in the department. He said, “And so we ask for those prayers, and we ask for you to support our men and women out there, and what they give for this profession.”

For Seiber’s family, the attack took away a husband and father after he responded to the report of a person with a gun. His wife and relatives were able to be beside him at the hospital before his death.

The ambush also left another officer seriously wounded after being shot 12 times. The attack, the surgeries and the suspect’s attempt to hide in a tree all unfolded after the officers responded shortly past midnight Saturday.

The suspect’s eventual surrender to SWAT officers ended the effort to flee and hide, but it could not reverse the brutal toll. Seiber was dead, a second officer was seriously wounded and two young children had lost their father.

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