Blog

Homicides tripled since the new year over the same period in 2019, reports CBSPhilly. 15 homicides took place within the first 13 days of the year.

Just yesterday, in the span of 30 minutes, 5 people were shot, 1 of which died.

The fatal shooting took place in Strawberry Mansion along West Lehigh Ave around 5:30 pm. There, 3 victims took fire. One, a 20-year-old male, died from multiple gunshot wounds. The other two, a 16-year-old male and a 25-year-old male, also sustained bullet wounds.

Responders rushed both survivors to nearby hospitals. The 16-year-old received two shots to his torso. The 25-year-old was shot in both arms, both legs, and his lower back. Police report both in critical condition.

Police also told reporters at least 14 shots fired in the course of that incident, all from a semiautomatic gun.

The second shooting, which took place an hour earlier, happened in West Philadelphia on the 100 block of North Ruby St. Two men sustained bullet wounds and one remains in critical condition. However, the other is in stable condition.

Leaders Eager to Curb Homicides

Community leaders and officials organize to stem the increase in homicides. On Wednesday night at the Rotunda Theater, Stop the Shooting, an event hosted by city councilmembers, rallied opposition to violence in their community.

“Enough is enough,” decried Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson. “We can’t keep seeing our babies being murdered in the streets of Philadelphia.”

Despite the surge in violence this month, leaders like Johnson hope gathering support from local organizations beats back the tide. Coalescing a united front consisting of community members creates a grassroots campaign against homicides.

Meanwhile, police continue to investigate the pair of shootings from Wednesday. Reviewing surveillance video from the store at the location of the Strawberry Mansion shooting may provide some clues.