City officials discuss plan to support Philly schools after 8 students shot at SEPTA bus stop
11 Philadelphia students shot in separate SEPTA bus shooting incidents
Northeast High School announced it will operate remotely for the remainder of the week after eight students were struck by gunfire Wednesday afternoon. School District of Philadelphia leaders talk what will be done in order to support the mental and emotional health of its students and staff.
PHILADELPHIA - "I'm pissed off," said Pastor Carl Day who took to social media this afternoon following the shooting of eight teens in the Northeast at a Septa bus stop at Cottman and Rising Sun.
"I believe that we are at a place and point that we cannot be safe on the bus, be safe while we're waiting on the bus, and we're watching just a host of young people shooting at each other and also being shot," he said.
In one post, Pastor Day condemns shooters and women dating them. He says it is destroying families and communities. And it is being passed on to our young people.
SEPTA shootings: 3 people killed, 4 injured on or around SEPTA buses in less than 48 hours
SEPTA violence appears to be on the rise after three deadly shootings erupted either on a bus, or at a bus stop in three different sections of Philadelphia.
"Honestly, social media is a vehicle. These kids feel like they are embarrassed, they have to keep score and they have to continue to feel like everything needs to go to violence," said Pastor Day.
Meanwhile, city officials spoke about plans to assist students affected by the shooting of the teens today and putting plans in place for Northeast High School and Imhotep Charter.
A 17-year-old student there was shot to death Monday at a nearby Septa bus stop.
Balloons remained there Wednesday after a vigil was held in memory of the student.
"The reality of it is that the trauma inflicted on our young children today who have been shot in the school community is significant," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel.
"We will have trained crisis professionals at Northeast High School tomorrow to provide support for our students and families as they process this horrific, unconscionable act of violence," said School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington.
Pastor Day, who is also the founder of Beat the Block, which works with young men, says we need to empower young people to make better decisions and care about the violence in our communities.
"We keep trying to place hope in systems, politicians and police and quite frankly, they can’t be everywhere all the time," he said.
The school announced tonight that Northeast High School will move to virtual learning through the rest of the week, but the district's emergency crisis response team will be there and they have online help available as well for anyone who needs help coping.