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Guilty plea in SEPTA bus driver’s 2023 murder
Zhontay Capers pleaded guilty to third degree murder and other charges for the 2023 shooting death of SEPTA bus driver Bernard Gribbin, with sentencing set for October 9, 2026.
PHILADELPHIA - The woman who shot and killed a SEPTA bus driver in Germantown in 2023 will spend more than 30 years in prison, a judge announced on Friday.
SEPTA bus killer sentenced
What we know:
Zhontay Capers was sentenced to between 32.5 and 67 years in prison on Friday.
In August, Capers pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and other charges connected to the attack, which happened on Oct. 26, 2023.
Woman pleads guilty in 2023 killing of SEPTA bus driver Bernard Gribbin in Philadelphia
Zhontay Capers pleaded guilty to third degree murder and other charges for the 2023 shooting death of SEPTA bus driver Bernard Gribbin, with sentencing set for October 9, 2026.
The backstory:
Bernard Gribbin, an Army veteran and longtime SEPTA driver, was operating the 23 bus that morning, when Capers shot him near Germantown and Abbotsford avenues.
According to police, Capers was getting off the bus before she turned around and shot into the bus. Then, she walked back in, continuing to shoot.
Capers was arrested shortly after the shooting and has remained in custody since.
What they're saying:
On Friday, SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth Lawrnce called the shooting a "cold-blooded murder" that was "shocking, chilling and unimaginably painful."
"Today's sentencing of Bernard's killer delivers justice in response to this senseless violence," Lawrence said.
Lawrence said that since Gribbin's death, SEPTA has implemented reforms aimed at better protecting drivers.
"This was a heinous crime, and one that we should never forget," Lawrence said. "But in Bernard's name, we can send a powerful message of support to our frontline transit workers. Let's stand with them, and ensure accountability for those who would do them harm."
The Source: Information in this story is from court records on Capers' sentence, a statement from SEPTA reacting to the sentencing, and previous FOX 29 reports on the killing and guilty plea.