NYC father of seven confronted a passenger about etiquette on a public bus. Then that passenger shot him dead

A father from New York was fatally shot aboard the bus after he allegedly confronted another passenger for talking too loud over the phone. 41-year-old Jonathan Pettigrew, a father of seven, was shot in the abdomen on Monday June 8.

The incident occurred on board the BX36 bus in the Bronx near White Plains Road and East Tremont Avenue as per PEOPLE. The dispute kicked off after Pettigrew confronted a fellow passenger on the bus who was speaking loudly on their phone according to CBS News which cites police sources.

It’s unclear exactly what was said between Pettigrew and the other passenger, who was described as a young man in his teens as reported by ABC 7, but it’s alleged the suspect was yelling on their phone. The argument between Pettigrew and the suspect escalated and ultimately resulted in an overreaction in the form of gunfire that led to the father of seven being shot in the abdomen. 

Security footage showed other passengers flooding off of the bus around 2:30 p.m. following the shooting. Pettigrew is also seen collapsing onto the ground. He was rushed to Jacobi hospital but later pronounced dead. The suspect who shot Pettigrew fled the scene.

A witness who works in the neighborhood and saw the aftermath of the attack described the moment she realized something was wrong, telling CBS, “Where the bus is parked is not a bus stop, so that’s what caught my attention.” She claimed there was “A whole bunch of people outside”

Pettigrew was on the way to pick up his daughter

Pettigrew’s brother, Avery Pettigrew told CBS that he “didn’t believe it” when he was informed of his brother’s death. “I think he was getting off work to pick up his daughter,” he explained, adding that his brother had been an aspiring rapper who lived with his seven-year-old daughter. Pettigrew was also a father of seven as per PEOPLE.

“He’s a good kid. He’s not a street person.” Avery said of his brother. “He’s very funny. He’s very into sports, you know, ’cause I know he was into that Knicks game,” he continued, saying “I just want justice and hope [the suspect] pays for what he’s done.”

Police are still on the look out for the individual responsible for the death of Jonathan Pettigrew. So far there have been no arrests made and the investigation is ongoing. The NYPD has offered a brief description of the suspect. It’s believed the gunman is a young man in his teens; he was seen wearing a white T-shirt and apparently fled south on White Plains Road.