PHILADELPHIA – A 14-year-old male from Philadelphia has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault for a shooting that took place on a crowded SEPTA train platform in July.
According to Philadelphia district attorney Larry Krasner, the incident took place on a Septa platform at 15th Street and Market Street beneath City Hall on July 12th.
Krasner said, “The incident began when the juvenile defendant engaged in a verbal altercation with the victim after the defendant exited a train car. The defendant alleged that the victim spoke expletives and asked him if he wanted to “take it upstairs.” The defendant subsequently shot the 19-year-old male three times at point blank range with a 9mm handgun less than 20 seconds later, claiming that the victim had started to pull a firearm from his waistband and that the shots were fired in self-defense. The victim sustained wounds in the hand, chest, and abdomen and was hospitalized for nearly two weeks. The crime gun was never recovered.”
SEPTA surveillance cameras captured the entire incident on video and played a critical role in helping police identify and apprehend the shooter. Station footage also helped convince the judge that the defendant’s self-defense claim lacked merit, as the victim declined to cooperate with Philadelphia police and the District Attorney’s Office.
“I’m grateful to Assistant District Attorney James Quinn of the DAO’s Juvenile Unit for achieving a fair and just outcome in this case,” said DA Krasner. “Our office will continue to hold juveniles appropriately accountable while ensuring that they receive the resources and attention necessary to steer them in the right direction. I also want to emphasize the importance of robust violence prevention funding, which is necessary to truly achieve justice and avoid dangerous incidents like this from ever occurring in the first place. My office is now accepting applications through the Philadelphia Foundation for community-based violence prevention group microgrants.”
“I’m proud to have prosecuted this case,” said ADA James Quinn. “I’m also grateful to all of the SEPTA police officers, particularly SEPTA Officer Aaron Kinchey, who responded immediately to secure the scene and in all likelihood saved the life of this 19-year-old victim. I also want to thank Philadelphia Police Department Detective Michael Rocks for his excellent work in this investigation.’
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