Community members are coming together to get guns off the streets and remember the life of 16-year-old Ceani T’Kai Small, but residents are also wondering what it will take to keep young people safe in the city.
At least three people were shot in Philadelphia Saturday evening - one person died and two others were seriously injured, according to police.
A 48-year-old man died around 7 p.m. after being shot in the back and head in the 6200 block of Harley Avenue in the Elmwood Park section of Southwest Philadelphia. A 21-year-old man was also injured in that shooting and was listed in stable condition.
Less than two hours later, a 30-year-old man was shot once in the neck near the 3900 block of Percy Street in North Philadelphia's Franklinville neighborhood, according to police. That victim was listed in critical condition, police said.
Earlier in the week, three people under the age of 18 were hit by gunfire in the span of three days, Philadelphia police said.
The most recent young victim was an 11-year-old child who was shot Friday night while walking with her 7-year-old brother in Southwest Philadelphia. More than 100 people under the age of 18 have been shot in the city this year, according to police.
"I just want whoever did this to be caught," a family friend said, adding that the little girl is a honor student who wants to be a lawyer some day. "We want justice."
On Saturday, mourners gathered at a memorial service for another young victim. Ceani T’Kai Small, 16, was hit by a stray bullet last week while getting off a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia. She did not survive.
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"It's pretty sad that could happen to somebody," Small's classmate Ronald Baker said. "She was kind."
There are additional community resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence. Further information can be found here.
