‘Lost his life for what? He was doing his job’: Beloved bus driver gunned down by female passenger in broad daylight, police say

Zhontay Capers is facing a murder charge in the death of Bernard Gribbin, a 12-year employee of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Capers, 21, allegedly shot Gribbin as she was getting off the bus in Philadelphia. (Capers photo: Philadelphia Police Department; Gribbin picture: Facebook page)

A 21-year-old woman riding a public bus in Philadelphia pulled out a gun and shot the driver several times, killing him in broad daylight, authorities say.

Zhontay Capers is facing a murder charge in the death of Bernard Gribbin, a 12-year employee of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Prosecutors say Gribbin had just pulled up to a bus stop around 10:30 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of Germantown and Abbottsford Avenues when Capers opened fire, hitting him on his right side. She got off the bus and then turned around and allegedly shot him again. Gribbin, 45, was taken to the hospital where he later died.

Capers ran away but was later arrested. In addition to murder, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner on Friday filed charges of recklessly endangering another person, possession of an instrument of crime with intent, and carrying a firearm without a license.

“What happened on SEPTA [Thursday] morning is inexcusable,” he wrote on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. “All Philadelphians have the right to feel safe on public transit, especially those working to provide these essential services to our city.”

Witnesses told local Fox affiliate WTXF that passengers onboard scrambled to get off the bus by jumping out of windows and emergency exits. No one else was injured.

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