One man was killed and another wounded early Tuesday morning on Penn's campus by an unidentified gunman, who remains at-large, Philadelphia police said.
Gunshots first erupted at about 6:40 a.m. while seven men were waiting on the eastbound platform of the trolley station at 37th and Spruce streets, said Sgt. Tim Cooney of the Philadelphia Police Homicide Division.
At least 10 shots were fired, eight of which struck Derrick Nalley, 23, in the upper torso. Nalley was later pronounced dead at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania at 8:29 a.m., police say.
The other victim was 34-year-old Joseph Quinn, who suffered a minor bullet graze to the back and was released from HUP sometime before noon, Cooney said.
According to Philadelphia Police -- who are handling the case in conjunction with SEPTA and Penn police -- an unknown male rushed down the steps of the trolley station, fired at least 10 gunshots and then fled the scene.
Police currently have no motive, nor is it clear whether the gunman and the deceased victim knew each other.
The seven men, including the two victims, were all enrolled in a work-release program -- designed to slowly integrate prisoners back into society -- in a prison facility located at 600 University Avenue, Cooney said. It is unclear whether the gunman was also a part of that program, or even if he was acquainted with anyone in the group.
"As far as we're concerned, he is still armed and dangerous," Cooney said, adding that police have not determined whether or not the suspect has left the area.
In a statement released the day of the shooting, Penn Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush described the perpetrator as a black male in his twenties, of average build and wearing a white hooded sweatshirts with blue jeans.
Philadelphia Police have already reviewed footage obtained from Penn's surveillance system, but Cooney declined to reveal the results, citing the pending investigation.
Rush, in a separate statement yesterday, said that Penn police officers are currently assisting with the investigation by broadcasting a description of the perpetrator to on-duty officers.
SEPTA's account of the incident, however, differs from that of the police report.
SEPTA spokesperson Richard Maloney said that both the shooter and Nalley were arguing while waiting for the trolley when the gunman opened fire. A SEPTA trolley conductor reported the altercation to transit police.
"We're cooperating with the police investigation as much as we can," Maloney said, despite the discrepancy among their two reports.
Trolleys were diverted from the 37th Street stop until police cleared the scene at about 12:15 p.m. yesterday.
While Cooney would not comment on the type of weapon used, Maloney -- who was present when police investigated the incident -- said it was a .45 caliber handgun.
"I don't think this is indicative at all of security in the SEPTA system," Maloney said, citing a 93-percent decrease in SEPTA transit crimes in the past decade. He credited the drop in felony crimes to the transit agency's 250 officers.
Trolley stations currently do not feature surveillance equipment, though Maloney said that SEPTA is planning on installing security cameras within the next three years.
Roosevelt Howard, a SEPTA rider who got off the eastbound trolley just moments after police cleared the station, said the shooting would not impact his decision to ride SEPTA.
"These things are always going to interfere in our lives," he said.
Still, second-year physics graduate student Mike Ambroso said the shooting has made him more attentive to campus safety.
"It does make me feel very uneasy," he said, but added that he will continue to ride SEPTA.
"For me, it's not a product of the trolley," Ambroso said. "It's a product of the area."
The last known shooting on Penn's campus occurred on January 15 when Engineering sophomore Mari Oishi was shot in the leg at 38th and Sansom streets at about 2:45 a.m.
The most recent homicide on Penn's campus occurred last Christmas, when 25-year-old Philadelphia resident William Hurt was shot and killed inside the Philly Diner, located at 3925 Walnut St., following a dispute with another male customer.
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