Delaware County

Delco playground to be named for 8-year-old girl killed in 2021 shooting

In honor of, what would have been, her 12th birthday, city officials will join members of the Fanta Bility Foundation to name a playground for the girl who was killed in a shooing at a football game in 2021

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A playground in Delaware County will be renamed on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, to honor Fanta Bility, an 8-year-old girl who was killed in a shooting in 2021. The event will be held on what would have been the girl’s 12th birthday.

City officials in Sharon Hill Borough will join with members of the Fanta Bility Foundation on Wednesday to name a playground at Sharon Hill Park, in Sharon Hill, in honor of the young girl who tragically lost her life in a shooting outside a high school football game in 2021.

On Wednesday, scheduled for 11 a.m., a ceremony will be held at a playground, located at Sharon Hill part, at 116 Clifton Avenue in Sharon Hill, to name and dedicate the space for Fanta Bility, who would have marked her 12th birthday on this date.

Organizers said that during the day, there will be a plaque unveiling and "special moments to reflect on Fanta's legacy."

Also, organizers said, the playground held a special place in Fanta's heart as it is "a space where Fanta once played and where her spirit of joy, kindness, and service to others will continue to inspire future generations."

Fanta was shot at killed on Aug. 27, 2021, when a shooting broke out near the main gate to the football field at Academy Park High School shortly after the game.

A report in 2022 found that Fanta was struck by bullets fired by an officer of the Sharon Hill Police Department as they exchanged gunfire with a vehicle passing by the stadium.

"The naming of the playground is a way to ensure that Fanta’s memory continues to live on in a place she loved, where children and families can gather, play, and grow," organizers said in a statement on the day's event.

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