2 arrested in connection with SEPTA bus stop shooting that injured 8 teenagers: sources

By Alexandra Simon

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Multiple sources tell CBS Philadelphia that two people are in custody in connection with a shooting that injured eight Northeast High School students at a SEPTA bus stop last week.

Those sources also told CBS Philadelphia reporter Joe Holden that a gun was recovered during the investigation.

Philadelphia Police said they plan to share more updates at a press conference sometime later today.

The eight students, who range in age from 15 to 17 years old, were hurt after a group of people in a stolen Hyundai drove up to the SEPTA bus station at Rising Sun and Cottman avenues around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6. One of those teenagers, a 16-year-old, was shot nine times and placed in critical condition.

Police said three masked shooters got out of the car and fired more than 30 shots in the direction of the SEPTA bus. Surveillance video showed three people running out of the car, firing shots and then fleeing the scene with a getaway driver.

On the night of the shooting, police recovered the stolen car in the city’s Olney neighborhood, but hadn’t made any arrests until Monday.

Students at Northeast spent the rest of last week doing virtual learning, but began returning to in-person classrooms on Monday. Juniors and seniors are in the building on Monday while freshmen and sophomores stay virtual. Then on Tuesday, March 12, juniors and seniors will have another day of virtual learning while freshmen and sophomores come into the building.

Principal Omar Crowder said in a message to families that the phased return to in-person learning is meant to “provide more small group and individualized support” for students.

Crisis counselors will be at the school this week to “support our students with grief counseling and whatever emotional assistance they need,” and Crowder said there will be a “highly visible” police presence around the school. SEPTA Police is also increasing patrols on bus routes near Northeast HS and will have additional staff remotely monitoring bus cameras.

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