Updated: Oct. 27, 10:55 a.m.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Police say a SEPTA driver was shot and killed in Germantown Thursday morning.
It happened just before 10:30 a.m. at Abbotsford and Germantown avenues. According to police, the 48-year-old driver, Bernard Gribbin, was shot six times in the chest while operating a Route 23 bus. He was taken to a hospital where he died less than 10 minutes later.
Gribbin was a 12-year veteran of SEPTA, according to the transit agency.
"At some point in time, a female in her early 20s exited the bus ... on the 4600 block," explained First Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore. "She then fires a shot toward the bus driver, re-enters the bus and fires again, and from what we see on video — and it's very preliminary — it appears she gets on and off several times."
SEPTA Transit Police Chief Charles Lawson says there didn't appear to be any kind of struggle or dispute before the driver was shot. "The only indication that we have right now is that there was no significant interaction between this individual and the operator," he said.
Vanore says the woman got off the bus one last time and walked a couple blocks down the street. She was ultimately apprehended by SEPTA police at a Sunoco station, according to Lawson.
"We had individuals tracking the movement of the suspect that we believe, by private video, commercial video sources throughout the neighborhood," Lawson said.
On Friday, police identified the woman as 21-year-old Zhontay Capers and charged her with murder and gun offenses.
Police have not yet determined a motive for the shooting. No other passengers were struck by the gunfire.
Authorities say the investigation is still in progress and urge anyone with information to call police.
SEPTA's board opened its monthly meeting Thursday afternoon but immediately recessed until Friday, out of respect for Gribbin. According to board chair Pat Deon, general manager Leslie Richards was at the Midvale depot, supporting Gribbin's colleagues.
Meanwhile, Lawson says the entire transit agency has been in mourning. "As you could imagine, this is a very traumatic incident for the entire SEPTA family. Quite frankly, we're shell-shocked right now," he shared.