Capt. Marc Metellus and community relations officer Mark Mroz, of the 2nd Police District, attended the recent Burholme Civic Association meeting to provide an overview of the recent shooting at the bus stop at 7300 Rising Sun Ave.
As of the March 14 meeting, three of the four suspects had been arrested. Mroz said he expected the fourth suspect, 17, to be charged as an adult when he is captured.
All eight victims – including the target, a boy shot nine times – are recovering. They all live in Lawncrest. In all, 34 shots were fired.
Police believe the shooting was related to a recent murder in Olney.
The suspects stole a Kia Sorento on the 7800 block of Horrocks St., then dumped that vehicle on the 500 block of Kendrick St., where they stole a Hyundai that was used in the crime.
There are 21 cameras on Rising Sun Ave., and detectives were able to track the vehicle as it made its way to Olney.
Metellus described the shooting as “senseless,” adding that SEPTA will now have a bus that takes Northeast High students directly from the school to Lawncrest without having the teenagers transfer to another bus on Rising Sun Avenue.
Mroz has worked in the 2nd district for 23 years and said the district used to be quieter and a place where veteran officers went to retire.
Metellus said the district’s manpower is stretched as it tries to cover 17 schools in the 2nd. Since the shooting, he has directed officers to check out SEPTA stops.
Mroz is no fan of the city’s Driving Equality Act, which prevents officers from stopping vehicles for infractions such as a missing brake light, bumper damage and an expired inspection sticker.
“That’s something that needs to be changed,” he said.
The 2nd district recently took part in a basketball game in Lawncrest against neighborhood kids, and Metellus and Mroz suggested it would be helpful to have more events like that. They are also happy that the 2nd is now located in the district after years of being on Levick Street in the 15th.
Burholme Civic honored Quaker Diner owner Simo Kastanos and manager Kristina Kastanos for allowing students who witnessed the shooting to remain in the diner until the scene was safe. Also, two waitresses assisted the victims.
Another meeting on the shooting will take place on Wednesday, March 20, at 6 p.m. at Northeast High, 1601 Cottman Ave.
In other news from the meeting:
• There will be a “Save Castor Ave.” meeting on Saturday, March 30, from 9-11 a.m. at 6434-36 Castor Ave. Take Back Your Neighborhood opposes a plan to convert Castor Avenue from two-way traffic in each direction to one way, from Oxford Circle to Cottman Avenue Concrete barriers would be constructed in the middle of the road. State Rep. Jared Solomon and PennDOT and SEPTA officials will be on hand. For more information, call TBYN president/zoning chairman Robert Rudnitsky at 215-432-4875. ••
