14-Year-Old Shot 18 Times While Waiting for Bus After School

A 14-year-old boy who was waiting for a SEPTA bus to take him home from school in Philadelphia was shot 18 times Monday afternoon and died shortly after, police said.

Authorities identified the boy as Samir Jefferson, the latest victim among the hundreds of homicides in the Pennsylvania city since the beginning of the year, the Associated Press reported.

Jefferson was waiting at a bus stop in a North Philadelphia neighborhood just before 3:30 p.m. Two unknown shooters exited a vehicle, approached him and began firing, NBC 10 reported. The gunmen chased Jefferson as he fled and fired at least 36 shots total.

He was struck at least 18 times and collapsed on the sidewalk before he was transported to the Temple University Hospital and pronounced dead shortly after 4 p.m., according to NBC 10.

An incident report from Philadelphia police said that authorities had not identified a motive for the shooting by early Tuesday. Police said that they found several surveillance cameras around the area where the shooting took place that they hoped would help with the investigation.

Several bullet holes were seen on the walls of a nearby Rite Aid, while bullet markers had been placed across parts of the sidewalk and street. Someone had also written "RIP Samir" on the sidewalk, NBC 10 reported.

The fatal shooting took place one day after a 16-year-old boy was shot eight times in North Philadelphia. A 21-year-old student from Temple University was also shot and killed off-campus during a robbery on Sunday afternoon, according to NBC 10.

For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.

Police officials said the shooting outside of the crowded pharmacy was witnessed by a number of people and at least partially recorded on surveillance footage. Officials told WPVI-TV that they had questioned two persons of interest, but as of early Tuesday no charges had been filed.

Philadelphia has recorded 508 homicides in 2021 as of the end of day Monday, the highest number since at least 1990 and 12 percent more than the same time last year according to police department numbers. Those homicides include more than 30 victims under the age of 18.

"Earlier today, we lost another young life to senseless gun violence--the fourth since yesterday," Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in an emailed statement late Monday. "My heart grieves for the victims, their families, and this city. While we cannot bring back those lost, the Philadelphia Police Department will ensure that these cases are fully investigated so that these victims and their families receive closure and justice."