Philadelphia police have confirmed the arrest of two males who conducted a mass shooting at a SEPTA bus stop in the city. The men are 18, and authorities have brought charges against them. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said the charges include criminal attempted murder, aggravated assault, and conspiracy.
Around 3 p.m. on March 6th, three masked gunmen exited a car parked near the bus stop in Philadelphia. However, the fourth suspect stayed in the car while the shooting was happening. They fired more than 30 rounds towards high schoolers who were trying to board a bus at the stop. Eight teenagers around the ages of 15 to 17 were the victims of this shooting.
According to Philadelphia ABC station WPVI, all eight victims attend Philadelphia’s Northeast High School. Two of these victims were in critical condition at the hospital. The shooters hit one of them nine times, leading to critical injuries. Today, that victim is doing better. The police said on Monday that the victim has been “upgraded [at the hospital] and is talking.”
The shooting was quite serious, and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel called it a “heinous crime.” He also said that an officer applied a tourniquet on one victim, which may have saved their life. The police have only arrested two of the four suspects at the scene. The other two remain at large.
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“We’re not done,” Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said during a news conference, adding, “We have other people we need to contact. We know who they are, and we’re going to move with our investigation continually.”
In addition, Krasner said, “If you are in any way a witness to what occurred here, please reach out to the Philadelphia Police Department immediately.” He said to the others who remain at large, “If you are involved, then get smart. Turn yourself in.”
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At the site of the shooting, the police recovered a gun that matched multiple casings from the shooting scene. It was a fully loaded .40 caliber Glock 22 pistol with an extended magazine. “It also had laser sights on it. And it had what we call a Glock switch, which made that firearm fully automatic — it was a machine gun,” Vanore said.
In addition, Philadelphia Mayor Charelle Parker addressed residents at a news conference. She said, “I’ve heard you tell me you are afraid and concerned about riding SEPTA. You have told me that you have concerns about going to work, to school, to the store.”
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“To the people of our city: We want you to know that we are unapologetic about engaging every partner available to assist us,” she said. Furthermore, she said, “Every partner who is needed to assist our Philadelphia Police Department and work in partnership with them to get answers and to assure that folks are held accountable for their actions, they will work together to get it done.”
Undoubtedly, the police are ardently investigating the issue and hope to capture the other two suspects soon. This mass shooting was one of the four recent incidents involving a local SEPTA bus in one week, according to WPVI.
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