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Philly principal speaks out after 8 students shot at SEPTA bus stop
The principal at Northeast High School is speaking out for the first time after eight of the school's students were shot and injured in a mass shooting at a SEPTA bus stop earlier this month.
PHILADELPHIA - It has been two weeks since eight Northeast High School students were shot after school while waiting for a SEPTA bus.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, Principal Omar Crowder says two of the students remain hospitalized.
"Two weeks ago today, our community suffered a tragedy on a scale that we have not seen in the history of the school District of Philadelphia," he said."We are not going to be defined by senseless street violence and we are not going to be defined by what feels like persistent lawlessness in our city."
The victims included seven boys and one girl between the ages of 15 and 17-years-old.
The four individuals wanted for the shooting, which happened at Cottman and Rising Sun Avenues, are now all in custody, according to Philadelphia Police.
Philadelphia mass shooting: All four suspects accused of shooting 8 students at SEPTA bus stop arrested
All four suspects sought in connection to a mass shooting that erupted at a SEPTA bus stop injuring eight students earlier this month, have been arrested by Philadelphia officials.
Crowder says they still do not know the motive or who the group was targeting.
"Although we're being told that the gun violence is decreasing when it happens to kids, it just it feels different and it's received differently," he said.
Crowder says they have utilized a number of mental health organizations to work with students and staff.
Governor Shaprio met with the survivors of the shootings, and Mayor Cherelle Parker came and spoke with students. He said they are working very closely with Philadelphia and SEPTA police, especially during drop-off and dismissal times, as well as increasing the presence of their school safety officers.
Of their 3,300 students, Crowder said more than 1,500 rely on SEPTA.
Tracy Chilutti, mom of a junior at Northeast High School, says she’s appreciated the increased presence at the school, but she still wants to pick up her daughter in-person every day and drive her home.
"I wish I didn’t have to worry about my daughter every day going to school," she said. "I feel very scared to let her on any SEPTA, it doesn’t matter where it is, so I come pick her up every day since this happened."
The district says so far this school year, 70 students have been impacted by gun violence and seven students have died.
Steven Angelo, a Lyft driver, says a family is paying him $50 every day to drive their son two miles home because they are working and unable to pick him up.
"It’s because of the shooting and what happened around here," said Angelo. "They just want the kid to be safe."