Skip to content
News
Link copied to clipboard

Police: School shooting suspect turns himself in

PHILADELPHIA A 17-year-old suspect in a Philadelphia school shooting that injured two students Friday afternoon turned himself in Saturday afternoon, police said.

PHILADELPHIA A 17-year-old suspect in a Philadelphia school shooting that injured two students Friday afternoon turned himself in Saturday afternoon, police said.

The District Attorney's Office charged Raisheem Rochwell, of the 7400 block of Rugby Street, as an adult with two counts of aggravated assault and weapons charges. Bail was set at $500,000.

Police earlier in the day had announced that the 17-year-old had been expected to turn himself in. He did so, with his attorney, at the 35th District.

A second, 16-year-old suspect who turned himself in Friday evening had not been charged Saturday.

Lt. John Stanford, the commanding officer of the Police Department's public affairs unit, sent an update to media just before noon Saturday, releasing information - such as ages - that had only been preliminary in the chaos the day before.

Just before 3:30 p.m. Friday, police "responded to an intense scene" at the Delaware Valley Charter High School, at 5201 Old York Rd., Stanford wrote.

In the school gym, an 18-year-old female student and a 17-year-old male student had been hit by the same bullet. Initial news reports listed the two students as 15 years old.

The bullet went through the rear of the female student's left arm, exited her bicep, and lodged in the male student's shoulder, Stanford said.

They were taken to Einstein Medical Center. The female was soon released. Stanford said Saturday he believed the male student, who had been in stable condition, had been released as well.

Officers were given "an abundance of initial information" by school officials and security staff, Stanford said.

Officers took a 15-year-old boy into custody "immediately after this incident" but later released him.

"Investigators concluded that school security officials had provided inaccurate information to police concerning this young man," Stanford said, "and he absolutely did not have any involvement in this incident."

Video from the school's surveillance system, and information from interviews, led police to identify two suspects.

They executed search warrants at the homes of the 16- and 17-year-old suspects.

Police were in contact with the 17-year-old's parents, Stanford said. Before Rochwell turned himself in, the District Attorney's Office had approved charges against him, Stanford said.

"However, at this time, they have not approved charges" against the 16-year-old, he said.

856-779-3220 @elaijuh