Philadelphia police suspect that the mass shooting, which left eight teenagers injured while they were waiting for a SEPTA bus on Wednesday afternoon, may be in retaliation for a Monday shooting that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old boy.
Detectives have seized a blue 2019 Hyundai Sonata that matches the suspected ‘getaway car’ captured on surveillance camera, as the three gunmen are still on the run.
The vehicle was discovered in the city’s Olney neighborhood on Wednesday night and has been taken to a nearby impound lot, according to the police.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said that eight students, aged between 15 and 17, were shot after three suspects exited the vehicle near a Dunkin Donuts and fired more than 30 shots at the SEPTA bus stop near Rising Sun and Cottman avenues.
Investigators are working to determine if the Wednesday shooting is connected to another shooting on Monday, where Dayemen Taylor, 17, was killed when gunfire rang out near a bus stop near the Ognotz and Godfrey avenues in Northern Philly
Philadelphia police suspect that the mass shooting, which left eight teenagers injured while they were waiting for a SEPTA bus on Wednesday afternoon, may be in retaliation for a Monday shooting that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old boy
Detectives have seized a blue 2019 Hyundai Sonata that matches the suspected ‘getaway car’ captured on surveillance camera, as the three gunmen are still on the run
The vehicle was discovered in the city’s Olney neighborhood on Wednesday night and has been taken to a nearby impound lot, according to the police
‘At some point when the bus is pulling up and the kids are converging to get on the bus, three individuals exit that vehicle and then discharges multiple times,’ Bethel said.
A 16-year-old student is reported to be in critical condition after being shot nine times, and seven other victims – including two 15-year-olds, four 16-year-olds, and a 17-year-old – were shot and wounded.
Six victims from Northeast High School are listed in stable condition, while the other two remain in critical but stable condition, police said.
Holly Castor, who works nearby, told ABC: ‘looked over and there was four other kids laying down.’
‘[One of the 16-year-old victims] was shot in his back — his spine,’ Castor said. ‘I put pressure on it. There was a lady on the phone with 911. Because he was sitting, they told him to lay on his belly so he could stop the blood. ‘
Authorities are now asking for the public’s help identifying the suspects in the shooting and released surveillance video of the gunmen getting out of the car before opening fire.
In a bystander video shared on social media, two to three school kids are seen on the wet ground as people around them panic and try to help
One male student, seen in khaki pants and a black zipper hoodie is seen wincing on the ground as he holds his bloody leg
Video shows a dark blue Hyundai Elantra pulling into a Dunkin Donuts parking lot. Moments later, three suspects dressed in all black, wearing face masks, charge out of the car as the driver quickly reverses the vehicle with the doors still open.
The video then turns to another angle and shows the moment the gunmen draw their weapons and shoot as the bus pulls up.
The unidentified suspects then run back to the car that meets them near the bus and swiftly flees the scene.
Before confiscating the ‘getaway’ car, police said that the paper license plates that were originally attached the vehicle were replaced with temporary plates.
In a bystander video shared on social media, two to three school kids are seen on the wet ground as people around them panic and try to help.
One male student, seen in khaki pants and a black zipper hoodie is seen wincing on the ground as he holds his bloody leg.
The transportation system said a Route 18 bus and a Route 67 bus were struck by gunfire near the scene of the shooting and have advised people to avoid the area as they investigate the incident.
Wednesday’s shooting is the latest in SEPTA bus shootings in the city in the past four days as Charles Lawson, the Chief of SEPTA Transit Police, said his department is going to take an ‘aggressive’ approach in combating the surge in gun violence, and ‘target every criminal code on the books.’
Video shows a dark blue Hyundai Elantra pulling into a Dunkin Donuts parking lot. Moments later, three suspects dressed in all black, wearing face masks, charge out of the car as the driver quickly reverses the vehicle with the doors still open
The video then turns to another angle and shows the moment the gunmen draw their weapons and shoot as the bus pulls up
‘We’re going to enforce crime and we’re going to do it aggressively – and we’re not going to apologize for it,’ Lawson said.
On Tuesday night, another shooting took place onboard a Route 79 bus near South Broad Street and Snyder Avenue.
Carmelo Drayton, 37, suffered two gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at Jefferson University Hospital in Center City.
Police said the shooter, who was wearing a black jacket, grey sweatpants and boots, fled the area. No weapons were found at the scene.
On Monday, Taylor was killed while waiting at the stop after finishing school when at least two people approached him and one opened fire with an automatic weapon, the New York Daily News reported.
Four others were injured in that shooting, including two women who were on a bus and two teenagers, both 15, who were grazed by bullets.
On Sunday night, a man was shot and killed after he exited a SEPTA bus near Castor Avenue in the Oxford Circle in Northeast Philadelphia.
Officials identified the man as Sawee Kofa, 27, and said that he was shot in the face around 11.25pm.
‘We use every legal means at our disposal to target illegal gun possession on SEPTA,’ Lawson said.
On Tuesday night, another shooting took place onboard a Route 79 bus near South Broad Street and Snyder Avenue. Carmelo Drayton, 37, suffered two gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the hospital
On Monday, Dayemen Taylor, 17, was also killed when gunfire rang out near a bus stop near the Ognotz and Godfrey avenues intersection in upper Northern Philly
Philadelphia Mayor, Cherelle Parker, said: ‘Over the past two days we have seen 11 juveniles shot. Over the past few days, we have seen the senseless acts of gun violence occur in and around schools, and public transportation’
‘We’re going to target individuals concealing their identity. We’re going to target fare evasion. We’re going to target open drug use.’
No arrests have been made in connection to any of the shootings, police said.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said: ‘Over the past two days we have seen 11 juveniles shot. Over the past few days, we have seen the senseless acts of gun violence occur in and around schools, and public transportation.’
‘The purpose of our being here on today is to inform you all that enough is enough.’
‘We are just absolutely heartbroken and angry that innocent children walking home from school would be impacted by gun violence, ‘ Tony Watlington, the Superintendent of the school district of Philadelphia said.
Watlington added that trained professionals will be present at the school on Thursday to provide support for staff and students following the terrifying incident.
