Stop the violence
Urgent action is needed to address rising gun violence in African-American communities
A 7-year-old boy was sitting in his bedroom playing video games Saturday night when he was shot in the thigh by a stray bullet from outside his home in the northwest section of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Police said the shots were fired into a residence on the 200 block of East Collum Street at around 9:25 p.m. The child was transported to the hospital where he was listed in stable condition.
The child will live but hundreds of others have not survived the rash of deadly shootings in a city in which violence has spun out of control.
Three people were killed in Philadelphia this weekend.
The week before nearly 100 shots were fired and five males were wounded, two critically, in a brazen drive-by shooting outside a West Philadelphia recreation center.
Police said six men opened-fired, shooting from a white Dodge Durango around 7 p.m. last Tuesday on the 300 block of North 57th Street, just steps from the Shepard Recreation Center, where dozens of people were gathered outside.
People were playing basketball and just enjoying the summer evening when terrorized by a hail of gunfire that a resident describe as being in a “war zone.”
“The fear that you saw on the kids' faces was horrible. They were frightened. Six, 7 and 8 years. It felt like we were in a war zone with bombs going off,” said Nicole Walton, who was at the scene with her 8-year-old son, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Three suspects — Tahmir Pickney, 24; Marlon Spurell, 22; and Azyear Sutton-Walker, 22, of Philadelphia — have all been charged with attempted murder, conspiracy, aggravated assault and related offenses.
“This is about as serious as it gets when it comes to criminal activity and this activity will be very vigorously prosecuted by our office,” said Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner at a press conference near the crime scene.
The number of homicides in Philadelphia is on track toward becoming among the highest in police records, passing the grim milestone set last year of 562 homicides in 2021, a 13% increase from 2020. The Philadelphia Police Department reported 350 homicides as of Aug. 21, a 2% increase from 2021.
So far more than 1,500 people in the city have been shot, a higher toll than in the much larger cities of New York and Los Angeles. While gun violence across the country over the past two years has increased, Philadelphia is one of the few major American cities where it’s the worst it has been in decades.
In Philadelphia and across the country, most of the gun violence victims and suspects are young Black males from poor communities that have suffered from longstanding race-based redlining and disinvestment.
While the pandemic, social media and the proliferation of guns are cited as some of the factors in the rise in gun violence, it can’t be ignored that Philadelphia is the poorest of the 10 largest cities in the U.S.
In response to the rise in violence, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and city council have directed more funding toward community-based violence prevention groups, recreation centers and schools.
Community groups such as ManUpPHL are stepping up. Founded by Philadelphia journalist Solomon Jones, the group provides mentorship and job opportunities for young men impacted by gun violence.
While community groups are essential in addressing some of the root causes of violence, these efforts are long-term investments that will take years before achieving results.
Citizens must demand that elected officials who control vast money and resources take urgent action to stop the bloodshed.
Immediate steps must be taken to remove violent repeat criminals while protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. Elected officials cannot become so frustrated and desperate that they embrace unconstitutional and counterproductive tactics such as stop and frisk that will only alienate people whom investigators need as sources and witnesses.
We need elected officials who understand that criminal justice reform and public safety are needed. Black and brown communities deserve both.
While preventing gun violence takes more than police, violent crime will not be reduced until police, prosecutors and judges focus their energy and resources on removing repeat violent criminals from the city’s streets.
In response, Philadelphia and other cities have increased spending to hire more police officers.
More resources are also needed for evidence-based proven intervention programs that focus on individuals who are most likely to shoot or be shot and hot spots where shootings are most likely to occur.
Another tactic that could bring more immediate results is the city’s offer of a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who fires a gun and injures someone within 500 feet of a school, recreation center or library, Philadelphia Mayor Kenney announced after the drive-by shooting outside Shepard Recreation Center.
“Schools, recreation centers and libraries are vital public spaces. They belong to the residents and families who live nearby,” Kenney said in announcing the reward offer.
“Our public spaces must remain safe for our community,” he said. “We hope that this new incentive will not only help us take more perpetrators of violence off the streets but also act as a deterrent for anyone who may consider committing such an unconscionable crime.”
The mayor said residents with information should report it to the police and tips can be made anonymously. The new reward amount is in addition to the standing cash reward of up to $20,000 for tips that lead to arrests and convictions following homicides.
Businesses can also contribute money to the city to increase the cash rewards for tips that help law enforcement.
More surveillance cameras are also needed to deter crime and help police identify suspects.
Because so many of the victims of violence are young people, this school year, the School District of Philadelphia, as part of its partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department, will expand its Safe Zones Initiative. It provides additional uniformed police officers at school dismissal times to support safe passages for students. Twenty-seven safe zones will encompass 40 district and charter schools.
The 2021-22 school year saw nearly 700 incidents of gun violence, 304 of which involved active students, said Chief of School Safety Kevin Bethel. At least 119 young people under the age of 22 lost their lives.
The Institute for the Development of African-American Youth, Inc., in collaboration with the district, is also hiring community members to patrol routes for students traveling from eight schools.
Gun violence is a major concern for students. More than 60% say they worry about the safety of their friends and family getting shot, according to a recent survey of 1,300 young Philadelphians.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw emphasized the periods before and after school as crucial to helping students stay safe.
“A child or parent should never, ever have to worry about being deliberately harmed on the way to or from school,” said Outlaw.
A partnership between the police and community is critical in stopping violent criminals from brazenly shooting people in public spaces including outside schools and recreation centers.
The rising gun violence in Philadelphia and other U.S. cities is devastating families and neighborhoods and traumatizing children who should be able to play at the playgrounds or attend after-school programs without the risk of being shot.
This lawlessness will not end until violent criminals are arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to lengthy terms, ending their reign of terror.
Irv Randolph is the managing editor of the Philadelphia Tribune, the nation’s oldest continuously published African American newspaper in the nation and co-founder of The Randolph Report, a newsletter on politics, culture and career and professional news relevant to Black Americans.
This is sad and true. The numbers are overwhelming. I wish there was something I could do to help our community in some way. As I am writing this, I realize I can help by finding ways to provide young men with a training program that would allow them to learn a trade. Let them be re-educated by teaching them to read, and comprehend while using their hands. A trade that would give them a means to contribute to their families and community. Find ways to help them feel better as a man who can be looked up to instead of being feared.