17-year-old girl and SEPTA manager killed in violent night in Philadelphia

A 17-year-old girl was killed Sunday while walking her dog and, in a separate incident, a SEPTA manager and father of seven was killed in an ambush outside his home in a string of shootings in Philadelphia.

Shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday, a 17-year-old girl, identified as Teryn Johnson, was shot by unidentified assailants from a gray Dodge Challenger, on the 5300 block of Horrocks Street in Frankford, police said. Johnson was taken to Temple University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:16 p.m.

Johnson had been walking her dog when she was shot, police said. She had been walking back with a friend from a 7-Eleven when a shooter fired at least six shots in their direction. No words were exchanged between the victims and the shooter, said Inspector D F Pace.

Police are currently searching for video of the shooting. Johnson was walking her dog with her friend when the two spotted a car that appeared suspicious to them, a dark colored car. The two victims felt they were being followed and, police said, it appeared they actually were.

“It certainly appears that our decedent was specifically targeted in that incident,” said Homicide Capt. Jason Smith.

Doris Myers, who lives in the neighborhood where Johnson was shot, was in bed when she heard the gunshots. After hearing at least five shots, Myers rolled out of her bed and onto the bedroom floor, taking cover. As she started to get up, she heard cries from outside.

“I heard a lady say, ‘Somebody please help me,’ ” Myers said Monday afternoon.

Minutes later, the street was flooded with people and police cars, said Myers. She was unable to see the victims or what had happened, but recalled hearing a dog barking.

Officials declined to provide a potential motive or say why she may have been targeted. No arrests have been made and no weapons have been recovered. The other girl was not injured.

In Germantown on Monday, a SEPTA manager was shot in front of his home in what appeared to be an ambush.

Around 12:41 a.m. Monday, police responded to the 100 block of East Washington Lane for a shooting. When officers arrived, they found the 37-year-old man, later identified by SEPTA as Daniel Ruley, with multiple gunshot wounds.

An unidentified individual had been waiting for Ruley in a black sedan, said Capt. Anthony Ginaldi. When Ruley arrived at his home, the shooter came out of the car and began firing, executing Ruley on the front lawn of his home, said Ginaldi.

Smith said it appeared that Ruley had been mistakenly targeted. Police were investigating and looking for video of the shooting.

“He’s observed walking past the vehicle which is possibly gonna be our suspect’s vehicle,” said Smith. “We believe he goes and picks up his wife. She’s a hairdresser and then he brings her back home, does the gentlemanly thing and drops her off in front of the house and then he goes, proceeds to go park the vehicle. And it’s at that time that somebody exits the dark color vehicle and opens fire.”

The high rate of gunfire that was heard led police to believe the shooter used a modified handgun, said Ginaldi.

The father of seven was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before 1 a.m. No arrests had been made and no weapons had been recovered.

A SEPTA spokesperson said Ruley had worked at SEPTA for 13 years.

“We are shocked and saddened by the tragic and senseless murder of SEPTA employee Daniel Ruley, who was shot and killed outside his Germantown home early this morning,” the spokesperson said. “Mr. Ruley was a Regional Rail conductor and worked for SEPTA for 13 years. SEPTA’s thoughts are with Mr. Ruley’s family at this extremely difficult time.”

Through Sunday night, police statistics show, 384 people had been slain in homicides this year — 4% higher than the same date last year, which ended with a record number of homicides.

Two other people were shot overnight in Philadelphia. Less than two hours earlier, an unidentified 35-year-old man was shot and killed at 61st Street and Baltimore Avenue, police said. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene at 11:35 p.m. And around 1:20 a.m. Monday, a 29-year-old woman was shot in the left ear during an attempted robbery, police said. The unidentified woman was shot on the 1300 block of St. Luke Street, police said, and was taken to Temple University Hospital where she was listed in stable condition.

No weapons had been found or arrests made for those shootings.