Moments after a man wrapping up his shift at a restaurant got into his girlfriend's car late Thursday night, someone crashed into their car before opening fire at least 24 times on the man as he sat in the car, striking him at least six times. The car wound up crashing into a SEPTA bus with passengers on board.
The wild scene played out just around 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 21, 2024, along busy City Avenue on the border of Wynnefield Heights and Lower Merion Township, Philadelphia Police Inspect D.F. Pace said.
Philadelphia and Lower Merion township police departments and Pennsylvania State police responded moments after the shooting along the 4000 block of the westside City Avenue -- near the "City Ave" bridge, Pace said.
The 21-year-old's girlfriend had just picked him up after his shift at a restaurant and was pulling out of the parking lot when another driver slammed into the car, Pace said. The girlfriend's car then crashed into a SEPTA bus.
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"The driver of that vehicle then opened fire on the vehicle in which the female and the ultimate victim of this shooting were in," Pace said.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
The shooter fired at least 25 shots into the other victims' car, peppering the passenger side with bullet holes.
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Police found a man on the Bala Cynwyd side of the road after he got out of the car, despite being shot at least six times, Pace said. He was rushed to the hospital in serious condition and is expected to survive after being upgraded to stable condition.
The girlfriend was "shaken up emotionally, but she was not injured physically," Pace said.
Terrified passengers on the SEPTA bus ducked for cover.
"A car seemed to hit us, sideswiped us and then there were a bunch of bullets," a passenger on the SEPTA bus who asked not to be identified said. "Everybody hit the floor... then the cops came."
The Route 65 bus passenger said the whole experience was "literally terrifying" as she "laid on the nasty floor of the bus" as she heard "rapid" gunfire.
Police hoped they could use surveillance video from the bus and possibly other places to get a good description of the shooter.
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