Two 18-year-olds charged in mass shooting at SEPTA bus stop

Two arrests have been made and police say they’ve recovered some of the weapons used in last week’s mass shooting at a Northeast Philadelphia bus stop that hurt eight high school students.

18-year-olds Jamaal Tucker and Ahnile Buggs are each charged with multiple counts, including attempted murder, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. Tucker turned himself in to Philadelphia Police last week, while Buggs was captured by U.S. Marshals over the weekend, according to police.

Police said they recovered a .40 caliber Glock 22 pistol with an extended magazine, laser sights and a Glock switch, which turns the weapon into a fully automatic handgun. More than 30 shots were fired in Wednesday’s shooting near the intersection of Rising Sun and Cottman avenues as students from Northeast High School were waiting for the bus. One of the teenagers, who officers said was the intended target, remains in critical condition after being shot nine times in the torso.

Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the investigation will require a “full court press,” and progress is being made.

“We will not tolerate this type of violence on our streets or in our schools or near our schools,” Bethel said. “Gun violence doesn’t just leave physical scars. It tears at the fabric of our community; it impacts our schools, impacts our families and leaves a ripple effect.”

Bethel and Mayor Cherelle Parker met at Northeast High School before Monday’s press conference. Parker said efforts to tackle the recent shootings aren’t “business as usual,” and authorities are “working with a sense of urgency.”

“To see all of these agencies come together is important… especially to the mother, who we just left, who’s afraid to go to bed at night and who doesn’t want to leave her children downstairs,” Parker said. “That is what we’re trying to quell right now, and our people can feel better knowing that we’re all working together.”

Police believe four suspects were involved in the shooting and used a stolen dark blue 2019 Hyundai Sonata to arrive at and flee the scene. A vehicle matching that description was located on the 400 block of Roselyn Street in Olney later that day.

Authorities believe two of those four suspects are now in custody. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said this case isn’t “simply about catching four people.”

“I’m not going to get into the specifics, but we are not done until any group involved in this kind of conduct is done until they do not exist anymore,” Krasner said. “And that is exactly where this investigation needs to go. It’s not about a single incident. It’s about every other incident that has any connection to it and making sure that people who will do this kind of thing are not in a position to do it anymore.”

The mass shooting follows a string of violent crimes related to SEPTA and its buses. Last week, authorities said they were investigating whether Wednesday’s shooting was connected to a separate incident that killed a 17-year-old and hurt four others Monday.

“I’ve heard you tell me that you are afraid and concerned about riding SEPTA,” Parker said. “I need you to know that I hear you.”

SEPTA’s police force said it’s taking an “aggressive” approach to combating gun violence on the city’s mass transit system.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the correct spellings of Jamaal Tucker and Ahnile Buggs.

If you or someone you know has been affected by gun violence in Philadelphia, you can find grief support and resources online.