Northeast High School students return in-person after SEPTA bus stop shooting injures 8
PHILADELPHIA - Juniors and seniors to return to in-person learning at Northeast High School for first time since mass shooting
Eleventh and twelfth grade students will return to in-person learning at Northeast High School on Monday for the first time since eight of their classmates were shot at a SEPTA bus stop.
The school announced over the weekend that ninth and tenth grade students will still learn remotely on Monday, and on Tuesday, the groups will switch. Both groups will have access to the district’s Emergency Crisis Response Team of the Office of Prevention and Intervention, along with crisis counselors on site.
"In order to provide more small group and individualized support, we will have students return to in-person learning in two shifts," said Principal Crowder in a letter home to parents.
Investigators say just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, three gunmen got out of a vehicle near the 7300 block of Rising Sun Avenue and opened fire on the group of students waiting to board a SEPTA bus.
Seven boys and one girl between the ages of 15-17 were struck multiple times by gunfire. Seven of the victims were said to be in stable condition, and police said a 16-year-old boy was critically wounded by nine gunshot wounds to the torso.
Philadelphia mass shooting: Police connecting evidence in bus stop shooting that injured 8 students
"Things are starting to come together," Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore told reporters Thursday. "We are moving towards knowing more about what happened yesterday and who we may be looking for."
The letter also stated that there will be an increased, highly visible Philadelphia Police presence, along with the District’s Office of School Safety in the school’s immediate vicinity.
"We will continue to work closely with PPD should they need to deploy additional resources. SEPTA Police have increased physical police patrols of the bus routes in the vicinity of Northeast HS and have additional personnel monitoring the cameras of those buses remotely so that they can coordinate police activity," the letter stated.
Mom of twin ninth grade students, Bonetta Pettiway, says her children walked a different route home last week and just missed heading down Cottman Avenue at the time of the shooting.
"I do think they need to increase the police presence," she says. "I guess that’s all I expect. I do my part as a parent I talk to them every day, ensure them these things happen, and we just gotta’ try to move on and do what’s best for each other, and just be supportive."
Philadelphia Police did not release any updates on the investigation over the weekend, but law enforcement sources tell FOX 29 there will likely have information to release on Monday.