July 02, 2026
Michaela Althouse/PhillyVoice
Lester Perez is facing charges for allegedly shooting a SEPTA rider on the Market-Frankford Line on June 18. Above, officers patrol the station following the shooting.
A man who allegedly shot a SEPTA rider on a subway train last month has been charged and will head to trial, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office said Thursday.
Lester Perez, 27, is accused of shooting a man in the stomach while on board a westbound Market-Frankford Line train at 15th Street Station in Center City at 1:30 p.m. on June 18. The man was treated at a hospital. Perez was arrested later that day.
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Perez, who also goes by John Perez, allegedly shot the man after a verbal dispute. Perez has been charged with attempted murder and related offenses. He will be arraigned July 15.
At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Municipal Court Judge David Conroy determined that there was enough evidence to move the case to trial.
"This case involved a brazen, senseless act of violence on a SEPTA subway with numerous passengers in close proximity when the defendant callously opened fire," AG Dave Sunday said in a statement. "Our partners with the Philadelphia police acted swiftly to take the shooter into custody, and our office will handle the prosecution of these very serious charges."
Michael Untermeyer, the AG Office's special prosecutor for mass transit, presented evidence at Wednesday's hearing. Under Act 40, the special prosecutor has first priority to handle SEPTA cases. If Untermeyer declines to handle a case, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office can take it on. Act 40 was signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro in December 2023.
DA Larry Krasner challenged the law in 2024, claiming his office would lose jurisdiction over much of the city, because the the law applies to areas within 500 yards of a SEPTA facility. The Commonwealth Court upheld the law.
