21-Year-Old Woman Charged in Fatal Shooting of Philadelphia SEPTA Bus Driver Amid Union Safety Concerns
Suspect Identified as Zhontay Capers Arrested for the Murder of SEPTA Driver Bernard Gribbin; Shooting Occurred Without Clear Motive Amid Union Negotiations over Safety Concerns.
- Zhontay Capers, a 21-year-old from Belmont, Philadelphia, has been charged with the murder of 48-year-old SEPTA bus driver, Bernard Gribbin. The shooting occurred on a Route 23 bus in Germantown.
- Gribbin was shot six times near Germantown and Abbotsford Avenues, with wounds to his torso and throat. Despite efforts from police and medics, he died at Einstein Medical Center minutes later.
- The motive behind the shooting still remains unclear. Police say surveillance footage shows no apparent signs of dispute or 'substantive interaction' between Capers and Gribbin before the shooting took place.
- Bernard Gribbin had been a SEPTA employee for 12 years and worked as a bus driver on Route 23. His murder raises further safety concerns amid union negotiations.
- The incident has put a spotlight on ongoing contract negotiations between SEPTA and Transport Workers Union Local 234. The Union is demanding increased law enforcement to confront the rising number of assaults on its members and promoting enhanced public safety measures.
The Philadelphia Inquirer 
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