Funeral mass held Tuesday for fallen Philadelphia police officer Shane Seiber

PHILADELPHIA - Mourners gathered Tuesday in Center City to pay final tributes to slain Philadelphia Police Sergeant Shane Seiber, who was gunned down in an ambush shooting in West Philadelphia on October 10.

What we know:

Hundreds packed the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul to honor Seiber, a 40-year-old husband and father of two. 

Seiber was posthumously prompted to Sergent during the funeral mass on Tuesday, an honor commonly bestowed on fallen officers.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro each addressed the congregation during the mass.

"While we cannot take away the pain of this loss, we can promise that you do not have to carry it alone," Parker said. "Your city stands beside you, and the people Officer Seiber served in our communities will remember what he gave."

"Before Shane was a solider, before he was a Philadelphia Police officer, before he became a husband and a father, he was somebody’s little boy, a child with dreams surrounded by people who loved him and helped shape the man he would become," said Bethel.

Miraculously, Officer Hector Rodriguez, who was shot 12 times in the gunfire that took Sergeant Seiber’s life, left the hospital for the first time today to say goodbye to his partner.

Officer Seiber remembered

What they're saying:

Seiber spent parts of his childhood in Levittown, Langhorne and Northeast Philadelphia, according to an obituary posted ahead of Tuesday's service. He is remembered by his wife, Lisa, and their two children, Finn and Emily. 

Seiber enlisted in the Air Force in 2006 and was a member of the 436th Security Forces stationed at Dover Air Force base. He completed two tours of duty in Iraq, and joined the Philadelphia Police Department in 2016.

"Shane had a remarkable ability to bring a smile to everyone's face and make anyone laugh," an obituary read. "Known affectionately by the nickname "Colgate" for his ever-present smile, he brought joy to the lives of those around him."

"Shane was one of those once in a lifetime people," said Quishanna Lee, an officer and friend of Sergeant Seiber. "To carry kindness in hard places, to offer warmth when the world can be extremely cold, what a gift, Shane had that gift."

"During our time in Iraq, he would take the time to free mice from sticky traps and release them back into the desert," said Jerry Murphy, his best friend. "It was a small thing but it said so much about him, even in the middle of a demanding deployment, he made room for kindness, he cared about the vulnerable whether they were people he loved or creatures most of us would never give a second thought."

Following Sergeant Seiber’s funeral, the police department gave its final honors, including Sergeant Seiber’s last radio call and a ceremonial flyover.

"That kindness that courage that humility and that enormous heart are part of the legacy he leaves behind in his two beautiful children Finn and Emily, they carry so much of him with them. and I hope they will always know how deeply their dad was loved, how many lives he touched, and what an extraordinary man he was," says Murphy.

West Philadelphia shooting

The backstory:

Officer Seiber was killed in the line of duty when he and another officer responded to a call for a person with a gun on North 52nd Street late Saturday night. Investigators say the officers were ambushed by gunfire upon arrival. 

The alleged gunman, 34-year-old Eric Lewis, surrendered to police after investigators say he fired at nine police officers and climbed a tree to hide. He is facing dozens of charges, including homicide of a law enforcement officer and multiple counts of attempted murder.

What's next:

Mayor Parker announced that the city will offer an annual internship in Sergeant Seiber’s name, and they will seek the family’s input on choosing the candidates.

A fundraiser for Seiber has raised over $190,000 so far. A separate fundraiser for Rodriguez was announced last week which has raised nearly $50,000.

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