5th suspect arrested in connection with shooting that injured 8 Philadelphia teens near SEPTA bus stop
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A fifth suspect was arrested and charged on Thursday in connection with the shooting that wounded eight teens near a SEPTA bus stop in Northeast Philadelphia earlier in March, Deputy Commissioner of Investigations Frank Vanore said.
Vanore said the fifth suspect, 15-year-old Jeremiah Jefferson, was inside the Dunkin' near the shooting on March 6 and aided the other four suspects before they fired more than 30 shots at the SEPTA bus, striking eight Northeast High School students.
Jefferson will be charged with the same offenses as the other suspects, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of crime and more.
Vanore said investigators were able to link Jefferson to the shooting through new evidence by using surveillance video.
Jefferson was in communication with the four other suspects -- 17-year-old Asir Boone, 18 year olds Jamaal Tucker and Ahnile Buggs and 19-year-old Jermahd Carter -- before the shooting happened, Vanore said. Jefferson identified some people for Boone, Tucker, Buggs and Carter and even sent pictures to them while he was inside the Dunkin', Vanore said.
"The communication went back and forth," Vanore said.
Jefferson even texted the word "go" to the suspects as the group of Northeast High students walked toward the bus stop, Vanore said. That's when three of the suspects got out of the blue Hyundai Sonata and committed the shooting, according to Vanore.
At one point, Vanore alleges Jefferson told the other suspects: "I'm wearing this type of clothing, don't cook me."
Vanore and Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said law enforcement still isn't done and they're looking into other shootings related to the one at Rising Sun and Cottman avenues, including the one in Ogontz that killed 17-year-old Imhotep Institute Charter High School student Dayemen Taylor.
Police also said they still don't have a motive for the shooting that injured eight Northeast High School students.
"We're not done," Vanore said. "We have a lot more evidence to go through. We're working with the DA's office to go through that evidence, so there are other incidents we believe are connected. We have other people that might be linked to these people, so we're working."
New charges for Northeast High School shooting suspect
During Thursday's press conference, Vanore said Buggs, one of the suspects in the shooting that injured eight Northeast High students, will be charged with homicide for a separate shooting on the 5800 block of Rising Sun Avenue in Philly's Crescentville section on Feb. 15.
The shooting at around 9 p.m. on Feb. 15 left 20-year-old Kristopher Dowling dead. He was shot multiple times in his upper body and pronounced that night at Temple University Hospital, police said.
Vanore said the evidence collected at that shooting scene and the Northeast High investigation will allow them to charge Buggs with homicide. He'll be charged on Friday.
Two of the eight Northeast High School students are still recovering in the hospital after the shooting, but they're in good condition, Bethel said.
Shooting in Ogontz, other related incidents
Besides the Ogontz shooting, police declined to specify what other shootings might be related but said they're investigating several other incidents.
Two days before the Northeast High School shooting, Taylor was fatally shot and four others, including two other Imhotep students, were wounded in a shooting at the 6200 block of Ogontz Avenue near a SEPTA bus stop.
Earlier this week, police released photos of two suspects wanted for the shooting.
Police said both of the suspects fired shots during the incident.
"Let the Imhotep community and Ogontz community understand we are working just as vigilantly and working hard to bring those individuals into custody," Bethel said
One suspect was wearing a black hoodie with the words "DON'T GET EMOTIONAL IT'S ONLY BROKEN PROMISES" on the back, according to police.
Another suspect was wearing a light-colored hoodie with dark-colored pants and a mask. Police said both suspects are considered armed and dangerous.
The shooting was one of four on or near a SEPTA bus stop that week in early March.
"As we've said, we believe some of these are connected," Vanore said. "There's some kind of two neighborhood groups that seems to be going back and forth. Some of the shootings were spread apart in the beginning. Those two were actually two days apart. We do believe they're connected, we don't have the exact motive for why those targets were picked, but we're looking at that and we're just getting started in this. We're not in any way done with this investigation. We're going to get to the bottom of Ogontz and maybe that will give us more answers. But we need to get enough to charge somebody in that case."
Boone to be extradited back to Philadelphia
Earlier this week, Boone, the fourth suspect in the Northeast High shooting case, was captured by U.S. Marshals in Alexandria, Virginia.
Boone is still in Virginia, but he's scheduled to be extradited to Philly on Friday, Vanore said.
Boone was staying in a apartment with a woman with ties to Philadelphia before he was captured, U.S. Marshals said. He was taken into custody without incident.
