What to Know
- U.S. Marshals on Tuesday said that they've arrested Asir Boone, 17, the fourth person wanted in the March 6 shooting at a bus stop in Philadelphia's Burholme neighborhood that left 8 teens, all students at Northeast High School, injured.
- Three other suspects are currently facing several charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, weapons offenses and other offenses.
- Police are investigating if the March 6 shooting was possibly connected to a teen's slaying days earlier, along the 6200 block of Ogontz Ave., after, court documents claim one of the suspects in custody was recorded talking about that incident on a prison phone call.
The fourth young person wanted in a mass shooting near a SEPTA bus stop that injured eight Northeast High School students in North Philadelphia earlier this month was taken into custody Tuesday, March 19.
At approximately 12:15 p.m. the U.S. Marshals Service went to an apartment in the 700 block of Seaton Avenue in Alexandria where USMS investigators believed 17-year-old Asir Boone was hiding with a woman who had ties to Philadelphia, according to the USMS.
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When Marshals entered the apartment they located Boone and took him into custody.
Boone "was captured at a female associates apartment without incident," marshals wrote in a social media post announcing the capture.
Boone was taken to the Alexandria Police Department for processing, USMS said.
“I hope this final arrest brings some comfort to the student victims of this senseless crime. No child should have to fear for their safety while receiving an education and I hope these arrests can subside that fear,” said Robert Clark, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force.
Boone was wanted for attempted murder, firearms violations, and related charges. It was unclear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
The 4th and final suspect arrested
Previously, Ahnile Buggs, Jermahd Carter and Jamaal Tucker were already arrested for their alleged roles in the mass shooting. NBC10 has not gotten comment from any attorneys representing those men.
When Marshals arrested Buggs they found a .40-caliber Glock 22 pistol with an extended magazine that was fully loaded and had laser sights on it—a Glock switch—that made it fully automatic, investigators said. It matched casings found at the scene, police said.
The city continues to put an emphasis on safety in wake of SEPTA stop shootings
Mayor Cherelle Parker led a group of public officials, including the heads of the local FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives offices, at a news conference last week to try to assure anxious city residents they are working to address the spate of transit crime on SEPTA recently.
“We will focus on prevention, intervention and enforcement,” said Parker, who took office in January and promised to present her public safety strategies in the coming weeks, "in an effort to bring lawfulness and some order back to our city."
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
What we know about the mass shooting of Northeast High School students
The incident happened at about 3 p.m. as rain fell on Wednesday, March 6, as students from Northeast High School were gathered at a bus stop at the intersection of Cottman and Rising Sun avenues, in the city's Burholme neighborhood, officials said.
At that time, a blue Hyundai Sonata that police said was reported stolen -- and has since been recovered -- pulled up across the street and three armed people jumped out and opened fire on the crowd at the bus stop.
In the incident, eight teens -- all Northeast High students -- where inured, including one 16-year-old who was shot nine times. That boy was the only victim in the incident that was listed in critical condition at the time, police said.
NBC10 obtained court documents that detail how the police narrowed in on Tucker and Buggs.
The same stolen blue Hyundai used in the shooting was found later that same evening on the 400 block of Fern Street in Olney. Detectives were able to get surveillance of that immediate area and saw the four suspects exiting the car 14 minutes after the shooting and entering a home on that block, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
From that address police identified Tucker as a suspect.
According to the court documents, investigators determined that the cellphones of Tucker and Buggs traveled "in concert" to the shooting location and the area where the stolen car was recovered.
Police said they do not know if the shooting on March 6 was in retaliation for the shooting earlier in the week that left a 17-year-old dead, but the affidavit charging Buggs included a phone conversation with an inmate, that officials claim was Buggs' uncle. The document states "based on the context of this phone call, it is believed that the two individuals on this call are discussing the March 2 homicide at 6200 Ogontz Ave."
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