"Who Shot Phil?" was a whodunit storyline that was depicted throughout 2000-2001, before the event commenced in 1 March 2001 and ended on 5 April 2001.
The storyline depicts on the shooting of Phil Mitchell, who at this point has become the show's main villain upon building a number of sworn enemies over the course of his hardman tendencies.
Plot summary[]
Events leading up to the shooting[]
The origins of the storyline commenced with likeable rogue Phil Mitchell struggling to cope with the departure of his brother Grant in October 1999, with Phil having been betrayed by Grant and his life left in ruins. Since then, Phil has become depressed and wallowed in drink, also bought on upon the emigration to South Africa of the love of his life Kathy Beale, whom Grant had snatched from Phil - knowing that he wanted a reconciliation with Kathy and another chance to be with his son Ben. Phil offered Kathy a final chance to get back with him, and she gently turned him down.
Following the departures of Grant and Kathy, who took Ben with her to start anew away from Walford, Phil started to become more violent, such as attacking his estranged distant cousin Billy Mitchell in February 2000 in the Vic. Phil could not move on from Kathy and started to treat Lisa badly. While becoming more aggressive, Phil gradually developed a more ruthless streak as he continued to intimidate several residents. Residents commented on Phil's personality change, and how the once milder mannered Mitchell brother could be becoming so nasty.
One of the people Phil began to intimidate was his own stepson and Kathy's son Ian, a long term rival of Phil, and who had crossed Phil many times before. Phil learns that Ian yet again annoyed Phil as he had grassed Phil's girlfriend Lisa up and got her sacked. Phil attacked Ian and threw him into a door before vowing to bring him down and take everything he has away from him, rather than just break a few bones. After learning that Ian has been drying him out of some money, Phil refuses to help him out when Ian is subjugated to financial bankruptcy and even supports against him at the creditors meeting. Phil attempts to lunge at Ian when he aggravates the customers, but local resident Pauline Fowler defends Ian by chucking a jar of water at Phil, who then leaves.
Despite his behaviour, Phil continues to build his surrogate father-son relationship with his distant cousin Jamie - ever since Phil took him in after learning that Jamie has been abused by his legal guardian and Phil's cousin Billy.
When Jamie ends up having romantic troubles with his girlfriend Sonia Fowler, Phil forces her to stay away from Jamie. This goes against the advice of Phil's girlfriend Lisa Shaw, and things take a turn for a worse on Christmas Day when Phil assaults Lisa after she berates him for his behaviour and how the impact has left his mother Peggy on a recluse. Phil nonetheless started to mistreat Lisa, which infuriates Pauline's son Mark Fowler due to his crush on her; Mark and Phil become sworn enemies.
By then, Phil had embarked on an affair with Lisa's best friend Melanie Healy — who was set to marry Phil's arch-rival Steve Owen 1 March 2001. When Steve learns about the affair, he refuses to pick up the telephone in his office when she left a message on his answer phone. Steve later had a change of heart and decided to go ahead with the wedding.
Steve's mother Barbara arrived at the registry office to attend her son's wedding, and took an immediate dislike to Mel. Barbara also took a shine to Phil Mitchell. Phil drunk most of the wine and insulted Lisa in front of the guests. When the wedding guests returned to the Queen Victoria for the wedding reception, Barbara told Mel about Steve's first girlfriend who had cheated on him at the age of 16. Barbara implied that Mel was that sort of girl.
On the night Phil chucks Lisa out of his house after she attacks him with a plate for escalating the situation with her personal problems, his ex-business partner Dan Sullivan reappeared in Albert Square - seeking revenge on Phil after leaving him with just £5 when selling his stake in the Queen Vic.
Day of the shooting[]
At Steve and Mel's engagement party, Ian confronted Phil about his fling with Mel upon hearing about it. Phil told Ian that Mel was good, but not as good as his mother. Phil further stated that Lisa is soiled goods and needs help in the bedroom department. Phil then left the e20 nightclub and Ian, angry at his stepfather, followed him out. Ian picked up a metal rod to intimidate Phil, who lost his temper and began to throttle Ian with the rod - and only stopped when Mel shouted for him to stop.
Phil returned home, drunk. A coupe of hours later it was night time and he received a hoax phone call from an anonymous caller. Dan was then seen walking away from a nearby telephone box. Earlier on at the party, Dan swore revenge on Phil after getting chucked at with a glass of wine.
The scene returned to Steve's office, where we found that Steve's gun had disappeared from the drawer where it was being kept.
As the wedding reception drew to a close, Barbara finally lost her temper with Mel and branded her a tart. Before leaving, she stubbed her cigarette out on the wedding cake.
Steve and Mel jumped into Charlie Slater's taxi and were ready to depart for the airport to begin their honeymoon, but Steve went back to ensure that Billy was keeping everything under control at e20. Steve returned minutes later and he and Mel headed off for the airport.
Phil's doorbell rang and he went to answer it. He opened the door and found nobody there, he thought it was just kids playing knock down ginger, but as he turned around to re-enter his house, he was shot in the back and fell down the steps. Someone had been hiding in the shrubbery of the Square gardens and shot him. A very dazed and confused Phil lifted his head up and saw the assailant running away into the night.
Phil was found minutes later by Beppe di Marco. He was semi conscious and had lost a lot of blood. Anthony Trueman, a local doctor was called to tend Phil while the ambulance arrived. Mark Fowler was stood nearby and walked up to the scene. And Ian Beale was stood in the square gardens, his aunty Pauline saw him. Dan had left the scene, and Lisa was back home. She threw up when she was told that Phil had been shot.
Phil was rushed to hospital and doctors performed an emergency operation to remove the bullet. They told Phil's Peggy that there was no guarantee that Phil would recover. Ian Beale even hoped Phil would die as no one liked him. Jim Branning said Phil getting shot was bound to happen one day the way he carried on, and how he had acquired many enemies. The police later visited Ian Beale in his fish and chip shop, but they left after he told them to go and question Steve Owen — who is now at Heathrow Airport waiting for a flight to the Caribbean.
Suspects[]
- Mark Fowler - was resentful towards Phil for his callous treatment of Lisa. Mark held a torch for Lisa as well.
- Dan Sullivan - was initially a friend of Phil, but became a long-standing enemy of Phil's, and was seen leaving a telephone box after Phil received a hoax call.
- Lisa Fowler - had attacked Phil with a plate earlier in the week, and was angry with him for his constant abusive behaviour towards her.
- Ian Beale - another long-standing enemy of Phil's, who emerged from nearby bushes after Phil was found shot. They had also got into a fight just hours before the shooting.
- Steve Owen - had just found out that Phil had slept with his wife Mel, and a gun that had been hidden in Steve's office was missing just before Phil was shot. His mother had also taken a liking to Phil, much to Steve's disgust.
Events following the shooting[]
Three weeks after Phil's shooting, he was still in hospital recovering from his injuries.
Steve and Mel returned from their honeymoon and as soon as they stepped into the Queen Vic, Peggy accused Steve of trying to murder Phil. Jamie Mitchell later tried to attack Steve, but Mark and Lisa Fowler dragged him away.
Steve was soon arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and admitted to the police that he had never got on with Phil, but would not want to shoot him, and insisted that he was away from the Square by the time Phil was shot. Steve suggested that the police should quiz Dan, who was meanwhile visiting Phil in hospital and taunting him.
On 5 April 2001 when Phil was allowed home from hospital, five weeks after being shot, he decided to pay a visit to the person who tried to kill him. Ian, Dan, Steve, Mark and Lisa all received a knock on their doors at the same time. The assailant opened the door and Phil was stood there. He said "Guess Who?" menacingly. The person who answered the door was Lisa. Phil pretended to befriend Lisa but then said he was going to sort out whoever tried to kill him, and he then grabbed Lisa by the back of the neck, saying it was her who he was going to sort out. Phil wanted to kill her by shooting her with the very same gun used to shoot him. Lisa said to Phil that he drove her to it, his constant insults, his violence towards her and cheating on her with her best friend. Phil's good side emerged when he did admit that he did drive her to shoot him. Lisa said she still loved him.
Phil decided to conspire against Dan in the hope of getting him convicted of attempted murder. Strangely enough, Dan was already plotting to murder Phil and was waiting in the Arches at that very moment — with the gun that Lisa had shot Phil with! The police quickly arrived in the Square and arrested Dan on suspicion of attempted murder. He was quickly charged and remanded in custody.
Dan went on trial at the end of July, and Steve agreed to back up Phil's plot to frame Dan. But at the same time he taunted Jamie, vowing that Phil would soon be caught for trying to frame Dan. Steve took the witness stand and testified that he heard Dan vowing to 'shoot through' Steve and put Phil out of business.
Meanwhile, Steve's mother died and while he was clearing out her flat, the jury found Dan not guilty of attempted murder.
The week after Dan's release, Steve entered his office at e20 to find the furniture turned over and the safe open, but worst of all, Mel was nowhere to be seen.
Steve soon guessed than Mel had been kidnapped by Dan Sullivan, and persuaded Phil to help him in his quest to get her back. Steve phoned Dan and heard Mel screaming in the background. Dan later phoned back and demanded a £100,000 ransom for Mel's release.
Phil soon obtained the £100,000 for Mel's release and also took possession of a gun. When they arrived at Dan's flat, Phil threatened Dan with the gun and was about to shoot him when Mel suddenly appeared and knocked Phil out before he could pull the trigger. Dan then turned the gun on Phil, but when he pulled the trigger he quickly discovered that the gun was not loaded.
Steve, Phil and Mel left the flat after Dan got his £100,000. The police were summoned to arrest Dan, but by the time they arrived, Dan was gone.
Back in the Square, Mel lost her temper with Steve and accused him of shooting Phil as well as framing Dan. She also informed him that she knew about his affair with Karen, and later set fire to e20 before throwing her wedding ring at Steve and leaving the Square in a taxi.
Mel and Steve got back together two months later, but the following March — on their first wedding anniversary - he was killed in a car explosion.
In 2007, Phil told his doctor he had once been shot when he had shivers after saving his son and Ian's son from drowning. In 2014, Phil was shot again, accidentally by Shirley Carter and when news got round that Phil had been shot, Ian Beale said "Again?". This ensured the night that Phil was shot by Lisa would never be forgotten.
In 2019, almost 20 years after the event, Phil was calling a truce with Lisa, but jokingly mentioned to Lisa how she shot him in the back one time.