UPDATE (Tue., Oct. 13, 2 p.m.): The armed man who barricaded himself on a SEPTA Route 18 bus in Fox Chase on Monday died after shooting himself, police said. The barricade was lifted at 5:03 p.m., and the man was taken to Abington Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. No officers were hurt.
Family members identified the man as Lonnie Turner, 26, according to NBC10 and 6abc. Police have not officially identified him, and he was never charged.
A family member told NBC10 that the women found shot inside the burning Williams Avenue home were Sadie Turner, 78, and Gabby Turner, who was in her early 20s. According to relatives who spoke with FOX29 and 6abc, Sadie Turner was Lonnie Turner’s adoptive mother, and Gabby Turner was his sister. Relatives told 6abc they believe the bus standoff and the killings are connected.
Police have said the man on the bus may be connected to the double homicide but have not officially linked the two incidents, and no motive has been released. SEPTA told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the driver and one other passenger got off the bus safely before the standoff began. The investigation is ongoing.
EARLIER UPDATE (Mon., Oct. 12, 4:30 p.m.): The standoff on the SEPTA Route 18 bus at the Fox Chase Loop was still underway Monday afternoon, more than 10 hours after police declared a barricade around 5:50 a.m., according to the latest reports from 6abc and KYW Newsradio.
Police say the man may be connected to the double homicide on Williams Avenue, 6abc reported. He has not been charged, and officials have not officially connected the two scenes. Police have not identified him or released a motive.
SWAT officers and negotiators remain at the scene. Surrounding streets in Fox Chase are still closed, and SEPTA service continues to detour around the Fox Chase Loop.
This is a developing story.
EAST MOUNT AIRY — Two women were found shot in the head inside a burning home on the 8200 block of Williams Avenue early Monday, Oct. 12, and a family member says the armed man who barricaded himself on a SEPTA bus in Fox Chase hours later is their relative.
A family member identified the victims to 6abc as Sadie Turner and Gabby Turner. Police have not officially released the women’s names.
Fire, Then A Homicide Investigation
Firefighters were called to the Williams Avenue home just before 4 a.m. for a report of a fire, FOX29 reported. Crews found a kitchen fire with people inside, according to 6abc. Two women were brought out and taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where both were pronounced dead. Officials said both appeared to have been shot in the head, NBC10 reported. The fire was brought under control, and its cause is under investigation. Homicide detectives responded to the scene.
Standoff At The Fox Chase Loop
About an hour after the fire call, a Route 18 SEPTA bus pulled into the Fox Chase Loop near Oxford Avenue and Rhawn Street to drop off its last passenger. A male rider refused to get off and told the driver to call police, a SEPTA spokesperson told The Philadelphia Inquirer. When officers arrived, the man pulled out a handgun, according to SEPTA.
Police say the man told the bus driver he had just shot two people, 6abc reported. The driver got off safely, and no one else is on the bus. Police declared a barricade around 5:50 a.m., KYW Newsradio reported. SWAT officers and negotiators are at the scene, nearby streets are closed, and SEPTA trains and buses are detouring around the Fox Chase Loop.
Family Says The Man Is A Relative
The family member told 6abc that Sadie Turner was the adoptive mother of the man on the bus, Gabby Turner and a third child, and that they all lived in the Williams Avenue home. FOX29 also reported, from a relative of the victims, that the man is the adopted son and biological brother of the women who were shot.
Police have said they are investigating whether the man is connected to the double homicide, but officials have not officially linked the two scenes, according to 6abc. Police have not identified the man, and he has not been charged. No motive has been released.
What Is Still Unknown
Police have not said how the fire started or confirmed the victims’ identities.
Philly Crime Update will update this story as police release more information. Anyone who is charged is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Sources: 6abc; FOX29 (Dan O’Mara); NBC10 (Hayden Mitman); The Philadelphia Inquirer; KYW Newsradio (Tim Jimenez).
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