Philadelphia Police say they've made an arrest in the shooting on a crowded Broad Street Line subway car on Wednesday afternoon. A 15-year-old-boy arrived at Central Detectives at 5:20 p.m. Thursday, escorted by his parents.
"It's so sad that the parents had to surrender their child to be arrested for aggravated assault, not knowing what the outcome is going to be, that has to be heart-wrenching," said Captain Sharon Seaborough with SEPTA Police, in a Thursday evening news conference.
The accused teen shooter is not a student, according to Capt. Seaborough, and might possibly be a drop-out. He is now facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and related offenses.
Investigators say surveillance video shows the suspect board the train at Hunting Park. The cameras caught the shooter arguing with two people and then exit the train at the Susquehanna-Dauphin Station in North Philadelphia.
The gunman then fired a .32 caliber revolver into the subway car while standing next to a cashier's booth on the platform, according to police.
Two teenage boys, ages 14 and 17, were shot, according to investigators.
The 14-year-old boy was shot in the leg and is in critical condition. The 17-year-old boy was shot in the arm and has been treated and released.
"We try to prevent the problems but we're not at every stop and on every train and at some point we have to count on the kids to act accordingly," said Thomas Nestel, SEPTA Police Chief.
Nestel called Wednesday's shooting an isolated incident and says the SEPTA system is safe and crime is down.
The 15-year-old suspect is expected to make his first court appearance Friday.
