City leaders heard directly from the city’s youth on how they feel about Philadelphia’s gun violence crisis at an emergency town hall at The Liacouras Center Thursday night.
This comes after Philly experienced a week where 11 students were shot. One of them, 17-year-old Dayemen Taylor, died from his injuries.
“I feel like it’s a dog eat dog world and people are trying to get their licks back because of something small,” Sa’haad Gardner, 13, said.
On March 6 eight students from Northeast High School were shot in a mass shooting at a SEPTA bus stop in Northeast Philly.
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Just two days prior, on March 4, three students and two adults were shot at a different SEPTA bus stop in North Philly.
“They should not just walk up on somebody and kill them for no reason. Cause all the mothers out here, they like crying,” Trayvon Robinson, 9, said.
At Thursday night’s town hall, residents were able to share how the gun violence that has plagued the city has impacted them.
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“I’m scared. I have to drive everywhere. Everywhere. Or have somebody come pick me up. We go in 3’s. No more walking, neighborhood too bad,” Darcell DuPont, a North Philly resident and town hall participant, said.
Ameen James, a town hall participant, has his own ideas on why kids are shooting kids.
“All the shooting, all the killing, I think it’s basically coming from the music. Everybody chasing that type of image, so it’s making everything worse,” James said.
The town hall aimed to address gun violence, foster dialogue and develop solutions, Councilmembers Jeffery Young Jr., who organized the town hall, said.
“I think a very simple solution is to show the youth in our communities that we actually care,” Councilman Jeffrey Young said. “I want to show the youth of our city that there are examples of how you can live your life with positivity.”
Police say they can’t arrest their way out of this crisis. They believe it will take neighborhoods caring about each other, among other things.
“I’m not going to get enough guns off the street to stop this problem. It’s really about individuals making individual decisions about doing something different,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said.
“We need more programs, we need more help. If you need help, ask for help,” Sinsair Mitchell, 12, said. “It’s not hard to ask for help.”
In attendance at the town hall were representatives from the Philadelphia Police Department, Black Male Community Council of Philadelphia, NOMO Foundation, Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, Temple University Health, Department of Public Safety, City of Philadelphia, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities and Temple University Police.
“We have to have hope. Without hope we’ll never strive to be better,” Bethel said.
