Philadelphia police suspect the mass shooting that injured eight teenagers as they waited for a SEPTA bus Wednesday afternoon may be retaliation for a shooting Monday that left a 17-year-old boy dead.
Detectives have seized a blue 2019 Hyundai Sonata that matches the suspected “getaway car” captured on surveillance camera, with the three gunmen still on the run.
The vehicle was discovered Wednesday evening in the city’s Olney neighborhood and was taken to a nearby impound lot, according to police.
Police Chief Kevin Bethel said eight students, between the ages of 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 Avenue.
Investigators are trying to determine if Wednesday’s shooting is related to another shooting on Monday in which Dayemen Taylor, 17, was killed when gunfire rang out near a bus stop near Ognotz and Godfrey avenues in Northern Philly.
Philadelphia police suspect the mass shooting that injured eight teenagers as they waited for a SEPTA bus Wednesday afternoon may be retaliation for a shooting Monday that left a 17-year-old boy dead.
Detectives have seized a blue 2019 Hyundai Sonata matching the suspected ‘getaway car’ captured on surveillance camera, as the three gunmen are still on the run
The vehicle was discovered Wednesday evening in the city’s Olney neighborhood and was taken to a nearby impound lot, according to police.
“At one point, when the bus stops and the children gather to get on the bus, three individuals exit that vehicle and unload several times,” Bethel said.
A 16-year-old student is reportedly 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 injured.
Six victims from Northeast High School are in stable condition, while the other two are in critical but stable condition, police said.
Holly Castor, who works nearby, told ABC: “Looked over and saw there were four other children lying there.”
“(One of the 16-year-old victims) was shot in the back — his spine,” Castor said. ‘I put pressure on it. There was a lady on the phone with 911. Since he was sitting, they told him to lie on his stomach so he could stop the blood. ‘
Authorities are now asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects in the shooting and have released surveillance images of the gunmen getting out of the car before opening fire.
In a bystander video shared on social media, two to three schoolchildren are seen lying on the wet ground as people around them panic and try to help
A male student, seen wearing khaki pants and a black zip-up hoodie, shivers on the ground while holding his bloodied leg
Video shows one dark blue Hyundai Elantra pulls into a Dunkin Donuts parking lot. Moments later, three suspects, dressed all in black and wearing face masks, storm out of the car as the driver quickly reverses with the doors still open.
The video then pans to a different angle and shows the moment the gunmen draw their weapons and fire as the bus stops.
The unknown suspects then run back to the car that meets them at the bus and quickly flee the scene.
Before the getaway car was seized, police said the paper license plates originally attached to the vehicle had been replaced with temporary license plates.
In a bystander video shared on social mediatwo to three schoolchildren are seen lying on the wet ground as people around them panic and try to help.
A male student, seen wearing khaki pants and a black zip-up hoodie, shivers on the ground while holding his bloodied 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 has advised people to avoid the area while they investigate the incident.
Wednesday’s shooting is the latest of several shootings on SEPTA buses in the city in the past four days, as Charles Lawson, the chief of SEPTA Transit Police, said his department will take an “aggressive” approach to combating the increase in gun violence, and “targets 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 all in black and wearing face masks, storm out of the car as the driver quickly reverses with the doors still open.
The video then pans to a different angle and shows the moment the gunmen draw their weapons and fire as the bus stops
“We’re going to enforce the crime and we’re going to do it aggressively — and we’re not going to apologize for it,” Lawson said.
Another shooting occurred Tuesday evening aboard 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 say the gunman, who was wearing a black jacket, gray sweatpants and boots, fled the area. No weapons were found at the scene.
On Monday, Taylor was killed while waiting at the bus stop after finishing school when at least two people approached him and one opened fire with a New York automatic weapon. Daily news reported.
That shooting injured four others, including two women riding a bus and two teenagers, both 15, who were peppered with bullets.
A man was shot and killed Sunday evening after exiting a SEPTA bus near Castor Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia’s Oxford Circle.
Officials identified the man as Sawee Kofa, 27, and said he was shot in the face around 11:25 p.m.
“We are using all legal tools at our disposal to address illegal gun ownership on SEPTA,” Lawson said.
Another shooting occurred Tuesday evening aboard 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
Also Monday, 17-year-old Dayemen Taylor was killed when gunfire rang out at a bus stop near the Ognotz and Godfrey Avenue intersection in Upper Northern Philly.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said, “Over the past two days we have seen 11 young people shot. In recent days we have seen senseless gun violence in and around schools and on public transportation.”
‘We will focus on individuals who hide their identity. We are going to tackle tariff evasion. We are going to focus on open drug use.”
No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, police said.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said, “Over the past two days we have seen 11 youth shot. In recent days we have seen senseless gun violence in and around schools and on public transportation.”
“The purpose of our being here today is to inform you that enough is enough.”
“We are just heartbroken and angry that innocent children walking home from school would be affected by gun violence,” said Tony Watlington, the superintendent of the Philadelphia School District.
Watlington added that trained professionals will be at the school on Thursday to provide support to staff and students following the terrifying incident.