PHILADELPHIA, PA – A brutal shooting in Northeast Philadelphia resulted in eight teenagers being shot while they were boarding a bus on Wednesday afternoon, with one of them left in critical condition. According to authorities, more than 30 rounds were fired during the incident.
The teenagers, all between 15 and 17 years old, were caught in the gunfire near a Dunkin’ shop around 3 p.m. The three suspects, alleged to have conducted the assault from a parked car, remain on the run, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel reported.
In a press conference held after the incident, Bethel highlighted the disturbing trend of juvenile shootings in the city. He cited a total of 11 such victims in three days, with all victims either going to or returning from school at the time of the incidents.
Bethel also referred to a previous incident at a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) bus stop on Monday, where a 17-year-old boy lost his life and four others were wounded. This incident marks the fourth shooting incident on a SEPTA bus in the past week, with three of these incidents being fatal.
A SEPTA spokesperson mentioned that two buses had been hit during Wednesday’s shooting, although there were no injuries reported among the passengers or employees. The teenage victim in critical condition, a 16-year-old boy, was hit nine times in his torso, while the other victims, six boys and a girl, are all reported to be in stable condition.
Bethel assured that additional resources would be deployed throughout Philadelphia to address the wave of shootings. The authorities are investigating whether the shootings on Wednesday and Monday could be linked.