SEPTA police shoot suspect after deadly shooting in South Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police are investigating a deadly shooting in South Philadelphia on Tuesday morning that ended with SEPTA officers chasing down a suspect and shooting him.

Investigators say the initial shooting happened before 8 a.m. at Broad and Ellsworth streets, near the underground SEPTA station there.

Two officers in their SEPTA transit police vehicles heard the shots and identified a 41-year-old suspect who had just shot a 20-year-old female victim 10 times.

SEPTA says that the suspect attempted to flee police by hopping into a vehicle and speeding down Ellsworth Street. SEPTA officers followed and located the man, who had crashed his vehicle on 11th street.

"(Officers) Observed the individual holding what they clearly identified as a black semi-automatic handgun, pointing the weapon at an officer," said SEPTA's Acting Police Chief Chuck Lawson, who added one of the officers fired three shots, striking the suspect twice.

One of those bullets pierced the window of a business on the corner of 11th and Ellsworth streets. Further down the block, police located the suspect's gun on the street.

Lawson commended the officers saying they "acted extremely quickly, without hesitation, heroically, put themselves in harm's way and who knows whether they were able to prevent further gun violence in the city."

Police say the female victim was transported to Penn Presbyterian Hospital, where she died from her injuries. She had been shot 10 times throughout her body.

Sources tell Action News the woman had filed for a PFA against the man who attacked her. It was granted at 2 a.m. Six hours later, sources say the woman was killed by the same man she had wanted protection from.

SEPTA says both officers were not injured and will likely be put on administrative duty while police investigate the shooting.

The suspect was taken to Jefferson Hospital where he was placed in stable condition.