Police release video of suspect in deadly shooting on SEPTA bus

Philadelphia Police released surveillance photos and video of a man accused of shooting and killing another man during a fight on a SEPTA bus earlier this week.

The incident took place onboard a Route 79 SEPTA bus near South Broad Street and Snyder Avenue back on Tuesday, March 5, around 6:40 p.m.

Police said 37-year-old Carmelo Drayton and an unidentified man were both on the bus when they began arguing. The unidentified man then pulled out a gun and shot Drayton multiple times, according to investigators. Drayton died from his injuries.

The gunmen fled the bus and entered the Snyder Avenue and Broad Street SEPTA Station, police said. He was last seen boarding a southbound subway train.

Investigators said the suspect has been seen on SEPTA property several other times aside from Tuesday’s incident.

The suspect is described as a man with twisted braids in his hair and a dark mark (possibly a tattoo) under his left eye. He was last seen wearing a black puffy hooded jacket with a red lining in the hood, a black ski mask with a Nike logo on the left side of the head, light grey pants and black shoes.

A $20,000 reward is being offered for an arrest in the shooting.

If you see the suspect, do not approach him but call 911 immediately. You can also submit or text a tip to 215-686-TIPS.

The incident was one of four shootings on or near SEPTA properties in a four-day span. On Sunday night, a man was shot and killed while getting off a bus in Northeast Philadelphia. Monday afternoon, a teenage boy was killed in a mass shooting at a SEPTA bus stop in the city’s Ogontz neighborhood. Finally, on Wednesday, eight students from Northeast High School were injured in a mass shooting near a SEPTA bus in Northeast Philadelphia.

Hours before Wednesday’s mass shooting, SEPTA Police Chief Charles Lawson announced a crackdown on crime.

Entering Friday, Philadelphia police reported 56 homicides so far in 2024, down 29 percent from the same time last year.