A 19-year-old was shot on the 15th and Market subway platform

A 19-year-old man was shot three times in the middle of the day Thursday on a busy subway platform at City Hall, causing a panic among afternoon commuters and adding to ongoing concerns over public safety on the city’s transit lines.

Just before 12:30 p.m. on the eastbound platform of the 15th and Market SEPTA Market-Frankford line, the victim was shot in the chest, stomach, and hand following a brief argument with another man, said Capt. John Walker, head of the Philadelphia Police Department’s nonfatal shooting unit.

The shooter originally boarded the subway at 69th Street station and stepped off at City Hall, Walker said. On the platform, he and the victim briefly exchanged words before they both appeared to reach for guns, he added.

» READ MORE: Five teenagers and a mother with her kids were among 10 people shot overnight in Philadelphia

Only the 19-year-old was shot, Walker said, and a gun police believe he owned was found under his body.

Acting SEPTA Police Chief Charles Lawson said that transit officers were on patrol nearby and responded as soon as the gunshots erupted underground. But the shooter was able to flee among the passengers running out of the station. Officers provided first aid to the victim and transported him to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he is listed in critical condition.

“Police are continuing regular patrols throughout the transit system to help ensure the safety and security of our customers and employees,” Lawson said.

While the shooter was able to flee, Walker said police have his companion in custody for questioning. He added that the victim did not fire his weapon, but could likely face charges for possessing a gun illegally.

The afternoon shooting in Center City comes amid ongoing public outcry over crime and safety conditions on public transit as SEPTA struggles to lure back ridership. The SEPTA Transit Police Department is also contending with widespread patrol shortages and a sudden leadership change after Thomas J. Nestel III, the department’s longtime chief, abruptly retired this month.

High-profile incidents on SEPTA lines have sent shock through the city since the pandemic began, including an early morning shooting on a SEPTA bus this summer, a recent stabbing, and a string of sexual assault cases.

» READ MORE: Reports of aggravated assault and robbery on SEPTA soared during the pandemic as ridership fell

The shooting rattled SEPTA riders as the crime scene cut off access to the busy 15th Street station at the nexus of the city’s two main subway lines.

Scott Clearfield, 64, of the Northeast, who rides the Market-Frankford Line to work daily, said he was stuck on a train behind the car where the shooting took place for about 25 minutes.

He learned that something was wrong from a SEPTA employee on his train who got information during a phone conversation and then relayed it to him.

“I was nervous because you see what happened in New York and you see what’s happening in other subway stations,” he said, referencing an April shooting on a Brooklyn subway train that left 10 people shot and 13 others needing medical attention. “I’m considering, again, driving in to work instead of being on public transportation because it just doesn’t seem safe anymore.”

Sabrina Alston, 62, and Susan Newsome, 58, learned of the shooting after getting off the Broad Street subway line at 15th and Market Streets to walk to Reading Terminal Market for a late lunch.

“Not again! What’s the problem? Why do they have to do this stuff,” said Newsome, of Mount Airy. “I thought Mayor Kenney got some money to help with the gun violence. I’m trying to figure out what he’s doing with the money..”

“Every time I get up in the morning I turn on the radio and the first thing I hear is somebody got shot. Every single day, it’s heartbreaking and it brings tears to my eyes,” said Alston, of Cheltenham, who added that she had not been on a SEPTA vehicle since last summer.

Regular train service resumed at 15th Street Station before 3 p.m., said Lawson of SEPTA.

The shooting also comes amid another violent 24 hours in the city. Shootings overnight Wednesday left 10 people injured, including an incident in North Philadelphia with four juvenile victims. On Thursday morning, hours before shots rang out on the El platform, a 35-year-old man was fatally gunned down on the 5000 block of Osage Avenue in West Philadelphia.

State Rep. Amen Brown, whose district includes parts of West Philadelphia, said the recent spike in violence on transit warrants additional investment from SEPTA in public safety measures.

“Some people have no choice but to ride on SEPTA,” Brown said, in a statement. “People are scared to ride.”

Staff photographer Alejandro A. Alvarez contributed to this article.