The suspect returned to the Planet Fitness after being barred over an unpaid bill, police say.

WYNCOTE, Pa. — A Philadelphia man is facing an attempted murder charge after police said he returned to a Planet Fitness where he had been banned and stabbed an employee multiple times during a midday confrontation April 2.

The case has drawn attention because police say the violence followed a routine business dispute at a public gym. Davier Massey, 28, is accused of attacking an employee at the Planet Fitness at 1000 South Easton Road in the Wyncote section of Cheltenham Township. The employee was taken to a trauma center with life-threatening injuries, and Massey was later jailed without bail in Montgomery County.

Police said the sequence began April 1, when Massey was banned from the gym because of an unpaid bill. The next day, investigators said, he returned to the location, left and then came back again. Officers and emergency medical services were sent to the gym at about 12:33 p.m. after a report of a stabbing. Cheltenham Township police said responders found a male victim with multiple stab wounds. The victim was identified only as a Planet Fitness employee. “Our thoughts are with the team member as they recover,” Planet Fitness said in a statement after the attack.

The stabbing happened during an altercation inside the business, according to police. Officials have not released the employee’s name, his job title or the exact point inside the gym where the confrontation began. Local reports said Massey caused a disturbance after returning on April 2, but police have not publicly described the words exchanged before the stabbing. Authorities also have not released the amount of the unpaid bill or said who told Massey he could no longer use the gym. Those missing details could become important as prosecutors try to show what led to the attack and whether Massey returned with intent to harm someone.

After the stabbing, officers arrested Massey a short distance from the gym. He was charged with criminal attempt murder of the first degree, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, terroristic threats, criminal mischief, harassment and disorderly conduct. Police said bail was denied and Massey was sent to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. The charges are allegations, and Massey is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. No public report reviewed for this article confirmed that he had entered a plea.

The Planet Fitness location sits in a commercial area along South Easton Road, a busy corridor in Cheltenham Township near the Philadelphia line. The stabbing disrupted a place that customers normally visit for workouts during ordinary business hours. Reports from the scene described a visible emergency response and a temporary shutdown at the gym after the attack. People who arrived later found the business closed because of an unexpected emergency. Police did not announce injuries to any other employees, customers or bystanders, and no second suspect was publicly identified.

Planet Fitness said it was saddened by what happened at its Cheltenham location and thanked law enforcement for quick action. The company said the franchise owner was fully supporting the investigation. The statement did not address whether the gym had surveillance video of the confrontation, whether the employee had been assigned to deal with banned customers or whether any security changes were made after the stabbing. Police also have not publicly said whether they recovered the weapon or whether investigators obtained witness statements from people who were inside the gym at the time.

The legal process began almost immediately after Massey’s arrest. Early court information and local reports listed a preliminary hearing for April 16 in Montgomery County. At that stage, prosecutors generally seek to show there is enough evidence for charges to move forward, while defense attorneys can challenge the basis for the case. Public reports reviewed for this article did not confirm the outcome of that hearing. The next clear milestones are expected to come through court filings, docket updates or new statements from Cheltenham Township police.

The employee’s condition has been described as life-threatening at the time he was taken to the trauma center, with later reports saying he was recovering. Authorities have not released a detailed medical update or the victim’s identity. As of April 27, the public record still centers on a two-day timeline: a ban, two returns to the gym, a stabbing and an attempted murder prosecution.

Author note: Last updated April 27, 2026.