Philadelphia Bus Stop Shooting: Two 18-Year-Old in Custody with $2M Bail

SEPTA bus stop shooting Philadelphia Bus Stop Shooting 18 years old bail custody suspects

By Jackelyn Cornejo , Parent Herald Mar 13, 11:50 am

Two 18-year-olds were arrested in relation to the shooting of eight high school students at a Philadelphia bus stop last week.

Authorities disclosed on Monday that a fully loaded, fully automatic weapon matching evidence found at the incident had been recovered. Two additional suspects were still at large, making it the fourth shooting scene in four days involving the city's transit system.

Suspects on Philadelphia Bus Stop Shooting Arrested

The subsequent discovery of a stolen car played a crucial role in leading the police to suspect Jamaal Tucker, who surrendered on Friday.

Federal marshals later searched a location connected to Ahnile Buggs on Saturday, recovering a .40-caliber Glock matching casings found at the crime scene.

Both individuals face identical charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, weapons offenses, and others, and are currently held on bail exceeding $2 million. Preliminary hearings for both are scheduled for March 20.

Mayor Cherelle Parker, along with public officials and heads of local FBI and ATF offices, held a news conference on Monday to reassure worried residents that efforts are ongoing to address the latest surge in transit-related crime.

The Wednesday afternoon shooting happened as students at Northeast High School were waiting for the bus. Surveillance footage shows three masked suspects opening fire around 3 p.m.

The casualties, aged 15 to 17, are all in steady condition, with a 16-year-old severely injured after being hit nine times.

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel recognized the quick response of two officers, who applied tourniquets to three casualties, possibly saving lives.

Northeast High School, with over 3,000 students, is the biggest public high school in the city.

Authorities are probing whether the bus stop shooting is related to the deadly shooting of a 17-year-old charter school student, where gunmen fired 40 shots at close range as people boarded a city bus in the Ogontz section, resulting in four added injuries, including a 70-year-old woman.

Last week also witnessed a deadly shooting during a bus argument in South Philadelphia and another shooting in the Oxford Circle area, where a 27-year-old man was killed moments after disembarking from a bus.

Police Investigation of SEPTA Bus Stop Shooting Continues

The incident occurred around 3 p.m. last Wednesday when three masked gunmen, exiting a parked car near the bus stop, fired over 30 rounds at high schoolers attempting to board a bus, according to Philadelphia police.

Eight teenagers, aged 15 to 17, were shot, with two of them in critical condition and one victim sustaining nine gunshot wounds, now showing signs of improvement and communication, as reported by the police on Monday.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel condemned the act as a "heinous crime," and it was noted that a fourth suspect remained in the car during the shooting. While two suspects are in custody, two others are still at large, according to authorities.

Police emphasized an ongoing investigation, with Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore stating, "We have other people that we need to contact.

We know who they are, and we're gonna continually move with our investigation." District Attorney Krasner urged witnesses to come forward and urged those involved to surrender.

Mayor Cherelle Parker addressed concerns raised by Philadelphia residents, assuring them of an unapologetic effort to engage every available partner to support the Philadelphia Police Department in their investigation.

All eight victims were identified as students of Philadelphia's Northeast High School.

The mayor emphasized resilience in the face of adversity, quoting the principal of Northeast High School, who expressed determination not to be broken despite the shattered lives caused by the incident.

This mass shooting is the latest in a series of gun violence outbreaks in Philadelphia, marking the fourth shooting involving a local SEPTA bus within a week, according to reports.