US Marshals offering $5,000 reward in 'dangerous' Philadelphia teen murder suspect's escape

Philadelphia police are on a manhunt for a teenage murder suspect who escaped from a hospital Wednesday and is "considered dangerous," the department announced.

Authorities identified the escaped inmate as 17-year-old Shane Pryor, who was in custody for a 2020 murder, Deputy Commissioner of Investigations Frank Vanore said in a news conference Wednesday.

On Thursday, United States Marshals Service Philadelphia announced it's offering up to a $5,000 reward for information leading to escapee Pryor's arrest.

Pryor escaped from the emergency room parking lot of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia shortly before noon on Wednesday after he was transported there from the Juvenile Justice Services Center for an apparent hand injury.

"He was able to escape from staff and run from this area on foot," Vanore said.

Vanore described Pryor as a Black male with a light complexion and is 5'7" weighing 180 pounds. He was last seen in the University Avenue and Civic Center Boulevard area wearing blue sweatpants, a blue sweatshirt and slides with socks on his feet.

Vanore said investigators reviewing surveillance footage spotted Pryor entering and exiting buildings in the area following his escape.

In a video shared by the U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia on Thursday, Pryor can be seen in the lobby of the Hub for Clinical Collaboration building just five minutes after his escape. By 12:29 p.m. local time, investigators believe Pryor had obtained transportation out of University City.

No lockdowns have been put in place for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and authorities believe he is no longer near the hospital, Vanore said.

U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia posted on X Wednesday night that it's believed Pryor may be operating a stolen Ford F-150 and asking for the public's assistance in keeping an eye out for the vehicle.

Pryor's mother, who did not want to be identified, shared a public message to her son after his escape Wednesday.

"Just turn yourself in so it don't get any worse than it has to be... mommy is fighting for you, I'll always be fighting for you," she said, according to ABC Philadelphia station WPVI.

According to the court documents, Pryor was being held on murder charges for the October 2020 shooting of Tanya Harris. He was 14 years old at the time of the alleged shooting in an alleyway in the Holmesburg neighborhood of Philadelphia. In December 2023, the courts decided to try Pryor as an adult.

At the time of his arrest, Pryor told police he solicited the victim for sex but that the woman was shot by another man, according to court documents.

Pryor's defense attorney, Paul DiMaio, said his client "has always maintained his innocence," and pointed to the December 2023 court decision as a motive for his escape. "He may have felt he wasn't going to get a fair shake," DiMaio told WPVI.

Philadelphia authorities encourage anyone with information regarding Pryor to call 911 and to not approach the suspect.