PHILADELPHIA — A veteran inspector who surveyed a downtown building weeks before it collapsed, killing 6 people, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound a week after the accident, authorities said today.

Ronald Wagenhoffer, 52, was found shot in the chest in a pickup truck about 9 p.m. Wednesday. A longtime employee with the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Wagenhoffer had inspected the building May 14 and signed off on demolition work underway, after getting complaints about the site from the public, Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison said.

That was three weeks before the vacant four-story building collapsed onto a neighboring Salvation Army thrift store on June 5, killing two employees and four customers and injuring 13 other people.

“With the building collapse a week ago, we have now lost seven lives in connection with this tragedy,” Gillison said at a news conference, adding that Wagenhoffer leaves behind a wife and son. “This man did nothing wrong. The department did what it was supposed to do.”

Department employees were told of the death this morning. Wagenhoffer was a 16-year city employee.

The department’s head, Carlton Williams, said Wagenhoffer did everything he could to protect people.

“We strive to protect our citizens by enforcing the building codes. And that’s what Ron did,” Williams said. “He was a dedicated civil servant who loved his job.”

Investigators say a heavy equipment operator with a lengthy rap sheet was high on marijuana when the building collapsed. The operator, Sean Benschop, faces six counts of involuntary manslaughter, 13 counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of risking a catastrophe.

His attorney has said he was being made a scapegoat.