Man sentenced to 17 to 45 years for killing 16-year-old at SEPTA’s City Hall station.
A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to a prison term ranging from 17 to 45 years for the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Tyshaun Welles on a crowded SEPTA subway platform. The sentencing of Quadir Humphrey, 19, was conducted by Common Pleas Court Judge J. Scott O’Keefe on Friday, following Humphrey’s guilty plea earlier this year to charges including third-degree murder and aggravated assault.
The tragic incident occurred on January 11, 2024, when Welles, who was reportedly not the intended target, was shot while waiting for a train at the City Hall Station. According to law enforcement reports, Welles had been socializing with friends at a local community organization in West Philadelphia prior to the shooting. As a group of teens congregated on the platform, Humphrey opened fire into the crowd as a train approached, resulting in a bullet striking Welles in the head. Investigators indicated that the bullet may have ricocheted off a wall.
Following the shooting, transit police quickly transported Welles to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Despite medical efforts, Welles was declared brain dead days later, and his family made the heartbreaking decision to remove him from life support; he passed away on January 16, 2024.
Surveillance footage presented during Humphrey’s preliminary hearing illustrated the chaotic moments just before the gunfire erupted. In the footage, a crowd of over 20 young individuals was seen on the platform when the shots were fired, leading to a frantic dispersal. After the shooting, Welles was found motionless.
Initially, transit police apprehended Humphrey at the scene, but after further interrogation and review of surveillance evidence, he was identified as the shooter and taken back into custody. Another accomplice, a 16-year-old, was arrested alongside Humphrey but was later exonerated after prosecutors withdrew all charges against him, having confirmed that he had no involvement in the shooting.
As of now, Welles’ mother, Racquel Clark, has not publicly commented on the sentencing, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has also refrained from providing statements. The Defender Association of Philadelphia, which represented Humphrey, has not responded to inquiries regarding this case.
The sentencing highlights ongoing concerns around gun violence and public safety in urban environments, pressing issues that continue to demand local attention and intervention strategies.
