SEPTA employees honor the life of bus operator who was killed while on the job
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- SEPTA employees honored the life of one of their own after a 12-year bus operator was shot and killed while on the job.
Each time a bus drove by on Germantown Avenue, the operator would honk as a way to pay tribute to Bernard Gribbin as his co-workers huddled together just steps away from where he was killed.
"My stomach has been in knots since I got the word on Thursday," said SEPTA bus operator Kia Dean.
It was a day that devastated the community after police said 21-year-old Zhontay Capers was riding a Route 23 bus when she shot the 48-year-old multiple times.
Police have still not determined a motive. SEPTA says their investigators have not found any connection between the two.
Former co-workers consoled each other Saturday and remembered the 48-year-old fondly.
"When he talked it was just like, you felt love from him. You felt comfortable talking to him," Dean said.
A small memorial with flowers, balloons and pictures of Gribbin were set up in his honor as colleagues came forward to speak during a candlelight vigil.
SEPTA employees said their hearts go out to Gribbin and his family. They said that because of this recent incident they're also fearing for their safety while on the job.
"I come to work every day, report to work just as he did. It could have been me. It could have been anyone of my co-workers," Dean said.
"We're very shocked. We're traumatized and quite frankly just at this point, afraid," SEPTA subway cashier, Michael Bente said.
Bente is calling for more safety measures with the hopes that no other lives are lost.
"They definitely need to have an enclosed partition on the bus. Our family rides the system too. So we want the system to be safe," Bente said.
It's a transportation system that Gribbin's co-workers say he loved being part of.