Eight students are shot after gunmen open fire on Philadelphia SEPTA bus stop as the teens waited for a ride home from their high school

Eight students were shot after gunmen opened fire on a Philadelphia SEPTA bus stop as the teens waited for a ride home from their high school on Wednesday. 

Shots rang out around 3pm at Rising Sun and Cottman avenues in Northeast Philly. 

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the students, between the ages of 15 and 17 were shot after three gunmen exited a vehicle near a Dunkin Donuts location and fired more than 30 shots. 

'At some point when the bus is pulling up and the kids are converging to get on the bus, three individuals exit that vehicle and then discharges multiple times,' Bethel said. 

One victim is reported to be in critical condition and the others' conditions are unclear at this time. SEPTA said there were no injuries reported to employees or bus passengers. 

This is the latest in SEPTA bus shootings in the city in the past four days as Charles Lawson, the Chief of SEPTA Transit Police, said his department is going to take an 'aggressive' approach in combating the surge in gun violence, and 'target every criminal code on the books.'  

 Eight students were shot after gunmen opened fire on a Philadelphia SEPTA bus stop as the teens waited for a ride home from high school 

Shots rang out around 3pm Wednesday at Rising Sun and Cottman avenues in Northeast Philly 

A motive for the shooting has not been released.  

Police said they are looking for three shooters and a driver in a dark blue Hyundai Elantra with a paper license plate.

According to surveillance footage, the suspects were all wearing a mask during the shooting and were last seen driving over the Tookany Creek Bridge near Cheltenham Township. 

The transportation system said a Route 18 bus and a Route 67 bus were struck by gunfire near the scene of the shooting and have advised people to avoid the area as they investigate the incident.

The shooting is the latest in violence to plague the transit system in Philadelphia. Officials have vowed to get crime under control and protect innocent commuters.  

'We're going to enforce crime and we're going to do it aggressively - and we're not going to apologize for it,' Lawson said.

On Tuesday night, another shooting took place onboard a Route 79 bus near South Broad Street and Snyder Avenue.

Carmelo Drayton, 37, suffered two gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at Jefferson University Hospital in Center City. 

Police said the shooter, who was wearing a black jacket, grey sweatpants and boots, fled the area. No weapons were found at the scene. 

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the students, between the ages of 15 and 17 were shot after three gunmen exited a vehicle near a Dunkin Donuts location and more than 30 shots were fired

One victim is reported to be in critical condition and the others' conditions are unclear at this time. SEPTA said there were no injuries reported to employees or passengers

On Monday, Dayemen Taylor, 17, was also killed when gunfire rang out near a bus stop near the Ognotz and Godfrey avenues intersection in upper Northern Philly. 

Taylor was waiting at the stop after finishing school when at least two people approached him and one opened fire with an automatic weapon, Daily News reported. 

Four others were injured in that shooting, including two women who were on a bus and two teenagers, both 15, who were grazed by bullets. 

On Sunday night, a man was shot and killed after he exited a SEPTA bus near Castor Avenue in the Oxford Circle in Northeast Philadelphia. 

Officials identified the man as Sawee Kofa, 27, and said that he was shot in the face around 11.25pm. 

'We use every legal means at our disposal to target illegal gun possession on SEPTA,' Lawson said. 

On Tuesday night, another shooting took place onboard a Route 79 bus near South Broad Street and Snyder Avenue. Carmelo Drayton, 37, suffered two gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the hospital 

On Monday, Dayemen Taylor, 17, was also killed when gunfire rang out near a bus stop near the Ognotz and Godfrey avenues intersection in upper Northern Philly

Philadelphia Mayor, Cherelle Parker, said: 'Over the past two days we have seen 11 juveniles shot. Over the past few days, we have seen the senseless acts of gun violence occur in and around schools, and public transportation' 

'We're going to target individuals concealing their identity. We're going to target fare evasion. We're going to target open drug use.' 

No arrests have been made in connection to any of the shootings, police said.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said: 'Over the past two days we have seen 11 juveniles shot. Over the past few days, we have seen the senseless acts of gun violence occur in and around schools, and public transportation.' 

'The purpose of our being here on today is to inform you all that enough is enough.' 

'We are just absolutely heartbroken and angry that innocent children walking home from school would be impacted by gun violence, ' Tony Watlington, the Superintendent of the school district of Philadelphia said. 

Watlington added that trained professionals will be present at the school on Thursday to provide support for staff and students following the terrifying incident.