Man shot dead on SEPTA’s Broad Street Line, police say

A 21-year-old man was fatally shot on SEPTA’s Broad Street Line on Monday afternoon in what investigators called a targeted attack.

The shooting took place about 2:40 p.m. as a southbound train was pulling into the Fairmount station, according to Philadelphia Police Homicide Capt. Jason Smith. The gunman, whom police have not identified, timed the shooting to coincide with the stop, Smith said, waiting until he had a clear exit.

He approached the victim and after “a brief altercation,” pulled out a gun and fired, causing the victim to fall to the ground, Smith said. The victim pulled out his own gun, Smith said, but it was unclear if he was able to fire it.

As the victim lay prone, the shooter stood over him and continued to fire. He then paused to rifle through the victim’s pockets before fleeing, according to Smith. Even in his weakened state, the victim attempted to stop his attacker, grabbing his ankle and tripping him.

But the shooter was able to get away and had not been arrested as of Monday evening.

The victim was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:03 p.m., police said. A handgun that investigators believe belonged to him was recovered at the scene.

A total of 14 shots were fired on the train as about a dozen bystanders sat nearby, Smith said.

“This could’ve been much worse,” he said. “The shooter knew what he was going to do.”

Smith said it appeared that the two men knew each other, and the shooting didn’t seem to be a random attack: At one point during the train ride, the gunman paused to wipe off a railing he had previously touched, in an apparent attempt to remove his fingerprints.

The men had boarded the train several stops apart: The victim got on at Olney, and the shooter minutes later at Susquehanna.

After the shooting, a 16-year-old arrived at Jefferson University Medical Center with a gunshot wound to his arm, but Smith said investigators believe he was a bystander hit by gunfire and was not the shooter.

Michelle Smith, a freelance photographer who lives nearby, said she saw the aftermath of the shooting unfold. Dozens of people came up from the platform, whispering that a shooting had occurred, she said.

Moments later, officers descended to the station, and carried up the victim, she said. They placed him on the sidewalk nearby and attempted to resuscitate him before loading him into an ambulance.