A teenager was killed and four other people were injured after two gunmen opened fire at a SEPTA bus stop in North Philadelphia on Monday afternoon, authorities said.
The incident occurred around 3:45 p.m. in the city’s Ogontz neighborhood, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel told reporters at a news conference later on Monday.
Two individuals, at least one of whom had an automatic weapon, fired at a group of young people waiting at the SEPTA bus stop on Ogontz and Godfrey avenues.
“Multiple rounds” were fired at a group of 15 to 20 people in what appeared to have been a deliberate attack, investigators said.
A 17-year-old high school student from the city’s Fern Rock neighborhood, later identified as Dayemen Taylor, was shot multiple times. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
It “definitely appears” the shooters were targeting the victim, Bethel said. “The bus has stopped, people are starting to board the bus, and that’s when we have two individuals come up and start to fire, shooting him and unfortunately killing him.”
Taylor was a student at Imhotep Institute Charter High School, its CEO Baba Andre Noble told NBC Philadelphia.
Two other teenagers were also hit by the gunfire, police said.
A 15-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet as he ran down the street, while a 14-year-old later walked into a hospital with a gunshot wound to his backside.
Both victims are listed in stable condition and are expected to survive.
Two “innocent bystanders” who were inside the bus at the time of the incident were also injured, authorities said.
A 49-year-old woman shot in her forearm and a 71-year-old woman, who was shot in the head, were also transported to a nearby hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
The tragic incident could’ve been even worse, according to Bethel.
“We’re never fortunate when we lose a child — in particular, a 17-year-old. But if you look around here, how busy this intersection is, [with] a daycare [center] across the street, multiple people on the bus and multiple rounds being fired, it could have been much worse,” Bethel said.
No arrests have been made. Authorities urge anyone with information to please contact Philadelphia Police at (216) 688-TIPS.
