In a shocking incident that unfolded on Wednesday afternoon, eight high school students fell victim to a shooting in Philadelphia, with one student critically injured after being shot nine times.
The incident occurred around 3 p.m. at a SEPTA bus station near the intersection of Cottman and Rising Sun avenues, located in the city's northeast region.
The victims, students from Northeast High School, were preparing to board a bus when three armed assailants emerged from a blue Hyundai Sonata. The gunmen, without hesitation, fired approximately 30 rounds at the students before hastily retreating from the scene.
The victims, seven boys and one girl aged between 15 and 17, were all hit by the gunfire. According to a report by FOX 29 in Philadelphia, seven of the victims are in stable condition. However, a 16-year-old boy who was shot nine times in the torso is critically wounded, as confirmed by the police.
Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore, in a statement to reporters on Thursday, said, "He's still in critical, we checked on him [Thursday]. I am told that the doctors are optimistic, we have to get through today, but they're looking to upgrade him at some point."
Over 24 hours post the incident, the Philadelphia Police Department is meticulously piecing together the events of the shooting. "Things are starting to come together," Vanore stated. "We are moving toward knowing more about what happened yesterday and who we may be looking for."
The police have released footage that shows the suspects pulling into a handicap parking space at around 2:53 p.m. The footage then shows three individuals exiting the vehicle and running towards the bus stop, while the driver remains in the vehicle. The video then captures the three men running back to the Hyundai Sonata and fleeing the scene.
Vanore confirmed that the police have recovered the Hyundai believed to have been used by the gunmen and the getaway driver. The vehicle was found abandoned in a dark alley on West Fern Street in Olney.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the car had been stolen from the citys 7th District earlier this month. In a bizarre twist, a stolen Kia Sportage was found parked in its place. Both vehicles are currently being processed for evidence.
The police are also investigating if the Wednesday shooting is linked to or a retaliation for a fatal shooting that occurred on Tuesday in the city's Ogontz neighborhood. In that incident, a 17-year-old student from Imhotep Charter School was killed, and four others, including two women and two teenagers, were injured.
"These are individuals shooting at a crowd of kids," Vanore expressed his concern. "Total between the two incidents, 11 kids were shot at. Thats really concerning, so we need people to see that, be as angry as everyone else is and let us know who did this, so we can end this rather quickly."
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