A Philadelphia man police link to the shooting deaths of his adoptive mother and sister in a burning home died of a self-inflicted gunshot after an all-day standoff on an empty city bus.
Story Snapshot
- A fire call shortly before 4 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, led to two women found shot in the head inside a burning East Mount Airy home.
- Family identified them as Sadie Turner, 78, and Gabby Turner, the adoptive mother and sister of Lonnie Turner, 26.
- Lonnie Turner barricaded himself on an empty SEPTA bus in Fox Chase around 5:49 a.m.; police lifted the barricade at 5:03 p.m.
- Police say he shot himself on the bus; he was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police have not released a motive.
A House Fire, Then Two Women Found Shot
Firefighters were called to a house fire on Williams Avenue in East Mount Airy, in Northwest Philadelphia, shortly before 4 a.m. Inside, two women were found shot in the head. They were taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center and pronounced dead. Family members identified them as Sadie Turner, 78, and Gabby Turner, a young woman in her early 20s.
Police said they believe the man on the bus is connected to the two deaths, and they are investigating that link. Police have not released a motive or said who started the fire. Family members said Lonnie Turner was Sadie Turner’s adopted son and Gabby Turner’s brother. They said he had recently been released from jail and lived at the home. A family member also said he posted videos on social media around the time the women were shot.
An Empty Bus And An All-Day Standoff
Around 5:49 a.m., Turner barricaded himself inside a SEPTA Route 18 bus at the end of the line on Oxford Avenue in the Fox Chase section of Northeast Philadelphia. SEPTA is the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, the region’s public transit agency. Officials said no passengers and no driver were on the bus. The home and the bus sat about five miles apart.
SWAT officers and police negotiators surrounded the bus for hours. Oxford Avenue was closed in both directions between Burholme and Hasbrook avenues. Neighbors said negotiators tried to talk Turner into giving up. Julio Rosario, who owns a martial arts gym across the street, said he heard “one shot,” adding, “it was one, quick pat, and that was the end of the situation.”
Police say Turner shot himself on the bus. Around 4:30 p.m., crews placed him on a stretcher and gave him chest compressions. He was taken to Abington Hospital and pronounced dead. Police lifted the barricade at 5:03 p.m., and the bus was later towed away.
What Police Have Confirmed
Police have confirmed the two deaths at the home, the bus standoff and Turner’s death by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They have said Turner is possibly connected to the women’s deaths. The names of the victims and of Turner came from family members. Police have not said what led to the shootings, and the investigation is ongoing.
Because Turner is dead, there will be no criminal trial. Detectives, fire investigators and the medical examiner will complete the record of what happened inside the home and on the bus.
A Neighborhood Left Shaken
For people in Fox Chase, the day meant a closed main road, police tape and a bus that sat at the center of a crisis from before sunrise until the evening commute. For the Turner family, it meant three deaths in a single day. The bus was empty, so no riders or drivers were aboard during the standoff.
Sources:
nbcphiladelphia.com, 6abc.com, fox29.com
