The City of Brotherly Love

PHILADELPHIA -- The dichotomy of peace and violence was evident in Philadelphia Saturday when an annual anti-violence rally came to Center City just as it was gripped by a wave of gun violence in less than 24 hours.

Since around 10 p.m. Friday, 12 people have been shot at 8 different scenes, police said. None of who are dead, one is in critical condition.

Fortunately, no homicides occurred late last night into today.
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The last homicide in Philadelphia was number 225, when one member of a group of teens came up behind 69-year-old Kwok Wai-ho and began to choke him, police said. When a neighbor called out, the teen threw him to the ground, where he struck his head, causing the brain injury from which he died on July 1.

Conversely, on Saturday afternoon, the participants of a Stop The Violence rally at the Mount Airy Church of God at Ogontz and Stenton avenues hoped to promote peace in their city.

“We have come to the conclusion that there is a spirit of anger that seems to be going on in our city,” Ernest Morris, Mount Airy Church of God in Christ said. "Break down those walls and those barriers so we can co-exist in our communities."

The congregation’s aspiration is that anger can be avoided by coming together at community events like this one.

The latest shooting in the city happened around 4 p.m. When, investigators said, a man was hit in the backside at 7th and Jefferson streets in North Philadelphia.

Shortly after noon, two men in their 20s were shot several times near 60th and Sansom streets in West Phildaelphia. Police say dozens of bullets were fired. Combined, the two men were hit a dozen times. Both are in critical condition.

The shooting sprees started at 11:30 Friday night with a barage of bullets at 53rd and Greenway streets. Police said about eight gunman started shooting, firing almost 30 shots, that hit three people, including a 17-year-old parapaligic, who was hit in the stomach. He is in critical condition. The teenager was in a wheelchair because he was shot last summer after he fired at a security guard at a recreation center dance, investigators said.

"Let's live together instead of us fighting one and other and killing one another. Let's love one another and live together," Morris pleaded.

source: NBC 10


p.s. By the end of the night, after this report, the number of shootings rose from 12 to 15