Police Respond to Armed Man on SEPTA Bus in Philadelphia

Police shut down several streets in Philadelphia's Fox Chase section early Monday, October 12, 2026, after responding to reports of an armed man aboard a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) bus. Officers said the man refused to leave the Route 18 vehicle, prompting a barricade response on Oxford Avenue.

According to police, officers arrived at the 7900 block of Oxford Avenue around 5 a.m. after receiving reports of a man with a weapon. They found a man carrying a handgun who would not get off the bus.

Authorities said the man allegedly told the bus driver that he had just killed two people. Police also reported that no other passengers or individuals were on the bus.

Officers closed surrounding streets while responding to the standoff. The available information did not identify the man or indicate whether he had been taken into custody.

The incident unfolded as Philadelphia police investigated a separate case in East Mount Airy, where two women were found with gunshot wounds to the head after emergency crews responded to a house fire early Monday.

According to the initial report by 6abc, investigators had not established a connection between the Fox Chase barricade and the East Mount Airy deaths. Both incidents remained under investigation.