Philadelphia police arrested a man who stabbed two Macy’s security guards after being caught stealing merchandise Monday morning, according to NBC10. 

The two security guards, one of whom died of his injuries, initially stopped the suspect from stealing hats from the Macy’s store in Philadelphia’s Center City at around 10:45 a.m., the outlet reported. 

#BREAKING At least one person was stabbed at the Center City Macy’s and a suspect was arrested at a SEPTA station in Kensington, officials say. https://t.co/9syAXEdd86

— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) December 4, 2023

The suspect reportedly was allowed to leave the store unpunished, but returned about 15 minutes later and stabbed one of the security guards in the neck and the other in the face and arm after he tried to confront the assailant. 

While one guard, aged 23, is in stable condition, the other was rushed to a nearby hospital and died at 11:19 a.m. NBC10 noted. He was 30 years old, per the outlet. (RELATED: NYC Stabbing Leaves Four Dead, Including Two Children, And Two Cops Slashed)

The suspect reportedly fled on a train and threw the murder weapon onto the tracks, according to NBC10. Officers caught up to him at a station in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, the outlet reported.

Interim Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Stanford said that the two unarmed guards were Macy’s employees there to “make sure that people can come to this location and shop in a safe manner.”

Stanford described the incident as “a tragic situation” and “just another indication that every bit of crime is important in the city,” NBC10 noted. He also encouraged people to “come and enjoy the city as best as they can,” according to the outlet. 

“Just year to date, they have been over 250 reports of retail theft at this location. So it is an ongoing situation,” Stanford added, per NBC10. “An ongoing problem. Not just for large chain stores like this but in terms of businesses throughout the city.”