Last updated on March 6, 9 a.m.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A man was shot and killed Tuesday evening on a Route 79 bus at the corner of Broad Street and Snyder Avenue in South Philadelphia — the third deadly shooting on or near a bus in as many days.
SEPTA Transit Police said it happened around 6:40 p.m., near South Philadelphia High School. The 37-year-old victim, later identified as Carmelo Drayton, was shot in the chest and transported to Jefferson University Hospital in Center City, police said, where he was pronounced dead.
Police said the suspect fled from the bus into the Broad Street Line's Snyder Station.
According to SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch, an argument broke out on board between two passengers, which may have led to the fatal shooting.
No weapons have been recovered, and no arrests have been made. Investigators are still searching for the shooter. There is a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
The scene remains under investigation. Police encourage anyone with information about this to contact the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334, submit an anonymous tip via phone or text to 215-686-TIPS, or call 911.
This incident marks the third consecutive day that a shooting has involved a SEPTA bus. Two days ago, a man was shot as he stepped off a bus in Oxford Circle. And on Monday, a teenager was killed and four people were wounded after two gunmen opened fire at a bus stop in Ogontz.
Marcus Tuggles used to take public transportation regularly but switched to another method to avoid possible violence.
“I’m taking Uber [more] than I am public transportation. That’s costing me a little more money, but you can’t put a price on life, right? And I’d rather be safe than sorry,” he said.
“We have so much gun violence that’s been going on in the city of Philadelphia, especially with the youth and everything. It’s really crazy because guns don’t really solve anything. They don’t have any names on them for sure. But there has to be a better alternative, better resolve.”
While incidents like this are unacceptable and “extremely concerning,” Busch noted they are also “extremely rare, when you consider that we provide approximately 700,000 passenger trips per day.”
He said SEPTA is looking at ways to increase police presence on buses in the coming months, and the transit agency is putting all its resources into prevention, safety and security.
“On any given weekday, we have about 1,000 buses out on the street. And right now, we have about 230 sworn SEPTA police officers,” he said. “So certainly, we are not going to be able to have an officer on every bus. But we are looking at ways to integrate that better with our regular patrols.”