Barricade on SEPTA bus in Philadelphia ends after man suspected of murder commits suicide, police say

A man suspected of shooting and killing two women in a Northwest Philadelphia rowhouse where a fire broke out Monday morning killed himself after an hours-long barricade aboard a SEPTA bus, according to Philadelphia police.

The man has not been publicly identified.

The barricade began shortly before 6 a.m. at the Fox Chase bus loop, at Oxford Avenue and Loney Street. It ended 10 and a half hours later after SWAT surrounded the Route 18 bus.

Police made several attempts to contact the man by announcing over a public address system. Officers could be seen escorting a group of people who may be close to the suspect.

Firefighters responded around 3:43 a.m. to the home located in the area of ​​Mt. Airy and Williams avenues in the city’s Cedarbrook neighborhood. While responding to a call about the fire, firefighters came across the bodies of two women, police said in a statement. The fire was brought under control about half an hour later.

“I heard sirens between 3 and 4 a.m. this morning,” neighbor Norma Hart said. “I looked out the window and was like, ‘Oh, it’s just a fire.’ I whispered a prayer: “May my neighbors be well.” » And I went back to bed. But here we go…fire trucks, sirens, you heard a lot of everything.

“Then I started hearing thuds. You just hear a thud, a thud, a thud. So I looked out the window again and I saw the smoke coming from the back of the house. And I knew it was serious at that point.”

It’s unclear what led to the shooting.

“I’m devastated. And especially to learn that they were the kind of neighbors who adopted children and raised… good, just good-natured people,” Hart said.

The Police Department said its officers declared a barricade situation aboard the SEPTA bus around 5:49 a.m. Rider Haajah Robinson said she was on another bus parked at the bus loop when she saw armed officers trying to remove a man from the bus.

“I was scared because they had their guns out and I’m walking down the street not knowing what’s going on,” Robinson said.

The Route 18 bus connects the Cedarbrook and Fox Chase neighborhoods.

Routes 18, 24 and 28 have been rerouted around the Fox Chase Loop, SEPTA said.

Philadelphia police and the Philadelphia Fire Department are investigating.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or in a suicidal crisis, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988. CBS News Philadelphia also has a list of mental health resources.

For more information about mental health care resources and support, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or by email at info@nami.org.