Mass shooting in Philadelphia: Search for suspects underway as 8 Northeast High School students shot in SEPTA bus station

In Philadelphia's Burholme neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon, eight high school students, aged 15 to 17, were shot at a SEPTA bus stop. The mass shooting left two students in critical condition, as confirmed by Philadelphia police.

During a news conference, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel revealed that the incident occurred at approximately 3:00 pm local time when multiple assailants opened fire on the students as they were attempting to board a transit bus. Bethel stated that three individuals exited a vehicle near the SEPTA bus stop and discharged over 30 rounds towards the students.

In a potential breakthrough, a vehicle matching the description of the suspected getaway car used in the shooting has been impounded by the police. Detectives seized a blue Hyundai Sonata parked in the 400 block of Roselyn Street in the city's Olney neighborhood.

This vehicle is believed to be the dark blue 2019 Hyundai Sonata captured on surveillance as the suspected getaway vehicle.

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Philadelphia high school students ambushed at bus stop

While visiting the SEPTA bus stop in Burholme, Philadelphia, where the incident took place, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel disclosed that all eight victims were students of Northeast High School, aged between 15 and 17 years old.

Bethel revealed that one of the students is now in a critical state after receiving multiple bullet wounds. At approximately 3 pm, 30 shots were fired, which left at least four people dead, and a few injured.

A SEPTA bus became an unwitting casualty, "caught in the crossfire," but thankfully, no passengers on board reported needing medical attention, according to officials from the regional public transportation company.

"Our hearts are with the victims and their families during this difficult time," police said in a statement.

The Philadelphia police authorities have shown the footage of the CCTV captured at the bus stop of Rising Sun and Cottman avenues where the same suspects who had opened fire at this station were seen waiting for the bus.

The video reveals three individuals exiting a dark blue 2019 Hyundai Sonata, unleashing a hail of gunfire on the unsuspecting students.

"At some point when the bus is pulling up and the kids are converging to get on the bus, three individuals exit that vehicle and then discharge multiple times," explained Commissioner Bethel.

Eight students aged between 15 and 17 fell victim to a horrifying ambush. The assailants, last seen driving over the Tookany Creek Bridge toward Cheltenham Township, targeted the group of teenagers, leaving a 16-year-old boy critically injured after being shot nine times.

Witness Holly Castor, who works nearby, recounted the distressing scene:

"I looked over and there were four other kids laying down."

The critically injured 16-year-old, shot in the back with bullets penetrating his spine, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Castor, one of the first on the scene, described her efforts to assist the wounded teenager:

"I put pressure on it. There was a lady on the phone with 911. Because he was sitting, they told him to lay on his belly so he could stop the blood."

Philadelphia police are actively pursuing the suspects, who were last seen driving a Hyundai Sonata with dark tint on all windows. Notably, the "H" emblem is missing from the front of the vehicle.

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Philadelphia faces escalating gun violence crisis

Wednesday's shocking shooting at a SEPTA bus stop marks the latest episode in Philadelphia's escalating gun violence crisis, with the incident being the fourth involving a local SEPTA bus in just one week, according to Philadelphia ABC station WPVI. The dire situation prompted Mayor Cherelle Parker to declare a public safety emergency back in January.

In a press conference addressing the recent surge in violence, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel expressed the gravity of the situation:

"It is hard to sit here and see, in three days, 11 juveniles shot, who were coming and going from school."

Bethel disclosed that authorities are investigating potential connections between Wednesday's bus stop shooting and a previous incident on Monday at a SEPTA station, where a 17-year-old high school student from Imhotep Institute Charter High School lost his life, and two others suffered graze wounds.

In response to the alarming spike in violence, police are set to increase security efforts significantly throughout the week, particularly near schools around dismissal time, as confirmed by Commissioner Bethel. Mayor Parker affirmed the city's commitment to public safety, stating,

"We will not be held hostage. We will use every legal tool in the toolbox to ensure the public health and safety of the people of our city."

Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Tony B. Watlington emphasized support for affected students and families, revealing that trained crisis professionals will be available at Northeast High School to assist those in need.