Summer festivities continue at Fairmount Park despite recent deadly mass shooting
Parks on Tap, a traveling beer garden throughout Philadelphia's neighborhoods, will be in Lemon Hill May 28–June 1.
This comes just days after a mass shooting occurred in the Lemon Hill area on Memorial Day, leaving two killed and nine others injured.
PHILADELPHIA - Days after a tragic shooting during a Memorial Day party in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia residents are returning to the park to enjoy summer festivities.
Despite the violence, the community is determined to focus on positive experiences and continue celebrating in the city.
The backstory
Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the 800 block of Lemon Hill Drive around 10:30 p.m. for reports of a shooting.
Police reported that two people were killed, and nine others were injured when nearly two dozen shots erupted at a Memorial Day gathering.
Amya Devlin, 23, and Mikhail Bowers, 21, were identified as the two people that were killed in the shooting.
Six of the nine shooting victims were teenagers, according to police, including a 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl.
All of those injured are in stable condition.
Investigators at the scene Monday night were able to find 21 shell casings and after further searches early Tuesday morning, they found about a dozen more.
What's New
Philadelphia police have confirmed that five different guns were used in the shooting at Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park, initially believed to involve three shooters.
The incident left crime scene tape marking the area, but the community is moving forward with events like Parks on Tap at the mansion, just steps away from where the shooting occurred.
What they're saying
Emily Della Rosa, attending with her newborn daughter Audrey, expressed confidence in the safety of the event: "I would never bring my daughter to something where I didn't feel perfectly safe."
Dailey Delia, a Parks on Tap patron, acknowledged the city's violence but emphasized resilience: "Obviously there's a lot of violence throughout the city, all kinds of neighborhoods, and I think it's part of city living that you just sort of accept that risk and keep pushing on."
Danielle Kudlacik shared her initial hesitation but decided to attend: "I did think about it. And I was like, hmmmm, I don't know if we should switch, but I didn't hear anything differently, so I was like, OK, I bet you if I still go out. If they haven't announced we're not doing it, then we're probably still fine to come out here."
Alison Mesko appreciated the community's spirit: "Obviously it's horrible that it happened, but I'm glad that people are still out enjoying the night and that we're still able to get together."
Jimmy Segilia highlighted the importance of continuing events: "You're living in a city, things are gonna happen sometimes, but it's bad when you see a couple of bad apples kind of ruin it for everyone else. I think it's important that they're still doing this event and know that it's a safe area, so I felt OK coming today."
Local Perspective
Philadelphia police presence added a sense of security as families enjoyed food and draft beers. Gary Kiefer, organizer of It's Better Outdoors, noted, "I know some people from my group were probably a little hesitant to come back out, but as of this morning, we still had about 50 people coming out tonight. It's horrible, obviously, but we're still gonna come out here because it's a cool spot."
Rob Fumanti, a member of It's Better Outdoors, appreciated the park's appeal: "It's awesome, good view, it's nice, great weather, so no last thing is gonna keep you away from this exactly, yeah."
Erin Dunkel echoed the sentiment: "I figured it's gonna be just something from that holiday weekend, and this is a beautiful park, so why not take advantage of it."
Emily Della Rosa concluded with a focus on positivity: "You have to focus on the positive things in life, like having great coworkers and having a good time together. That's what it's all about."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lansing schools made security upgrades over the summer. Here's what's new
LANSING — The metal detectors that moved into Dwight Rich School of the Arts late last school year will still be around when students return on Wednesday, Aug. 20. And a 'secure vestibule,' which prevents parents, volunteers and strangers from freely entering the school's hallways, also is being built at the K-8 building in southwest Lansing. Secure vestibules were built over the summer and are ready to be used at Attwood New Tech Magnet School, which serves elementary and middle school grades, and Lyons School and Forest View Elementary School, two elementary buildings. The vestibules are just one of the school safety features, planned long ago, that will greet students and parents this school year, district officials said. There also is fencing around the elementary- and middle-grade buildings, damage-resistant film on windows, and camera upgrades and installations, said Kristina Sleight, chief operating officer of the Lansing School District. 'We're happy to have them in the schools,' she said of returning students. 'We hope that they feel as safe and secure as we know that they are. We appreciate parents' feedback when we're looking to do these types of projects at our schools. We're just excited to see our kiddos.' Lansing School District officials placed metal detectors and handheld wands at Dwight Rich after a gun was found on campus the Thursday before the long Memorial Day weekend. Metal detectors were already at the high school buildings including Everett High School, where a teenager was found with a gun after officers responded to a fight call at the school on May 27. Paul Elam, chief strategy officer at the Okemos-based Michigan Public Health Institute and a leader in the development and operation of Advance Peace Lansing, estimated, based on conversations he has had with Lansing teens, that there's over 100 guns owned by or easily accessible to children and teenagers in the city. 'Children as young as 12 have access to these weapons,' he said earlier this year. 'Guns are everywhere. ... There's not a kid we talk to who doesn't know someone who has a gun, doesn't know someone who's been shot or been shot at or doesn't think guns are easy to acquire.' Sleight said the district annually spends about $1 million on safety improvements. 'There are additional funds that are being made available to school districts to upgrade security features,' she said. 'We've been taking advantage of applying for grants and getting additional funding to update our school facilities. 'We want everybody to feel as safe as we know that they are in our care, so we want to make sure we do have those extra layers of security for our students and for our staff members.' Sleight said the district is 95% done with fencing the appropriate schools, and that two-thirds of the schools now have secure vestibules. Dwight Rich should have its secure vestibule by the second semester. Visitors would get buzzed into the secure vestibule from the outside and then get buzzed into the office for checks before entering the rest of the building. 'Student and staff safety remains our top priority,' school board President Robin Moore said in a statement. 'The addition of cameras, fencing, window film, and secure vestibules reflects the district's ongoing commitment to protecting the well-being of the LSD community.' The district continues to work on drafting a comprehensive safety plan. 'There's currently an audit being done at every single school in conjunction with principals, our public safety department and our district leadership,' Sleight said. Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@ or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing school safety improvements include cameras, secure vestibules Solve the daily Crossword
Business Insider
5 days ago
- Business Insider
We lived in my mother-in-law's freezing garage in Utah for 1.5 years. It helped us save thousands, but I sometimes felt ashamed.
Our rent was set to increase by 50% so instead we moved in with my mother-in-law. Her garage was the only available space, so we cleaned it up and made it as homey as we could. We were there for 1.5 years until another opportunity came along. My husband and I spent nearly two years living in his mother's garage for $250 a month. It wasn't the cute, converted kind you see on DIY TikTok with string lights and space-saving hacks. I'm talking cement floors, cobwebs in the rafters, exposed insulation, and space heaters aimed directly at the bed just to get us through the winter of 2022-2023 — one of Utah's heaviest snowfall winters to date. Deciding to live there didn't feel like a romantic or bold choice. It felt like our only choice if we wanted a chance at having something of our own one day. We were tired of chasing our own tails We moved over Memorial Day weekend of 2022. Our lease was up in our duplex apartment, and the rent was about to skyrocket by more than 50%. The idea of continuing the endless cycle of renting while barely being able to set aside enough to save for a down payment on a home felt like chasing our tails. Love Business Insider? Log into Google and make us a preferred source. So we decided to move into the garage, which was the only space in my mother-in-law's home that she had available. The $250 a month covered our utility use and allowed us to put an extra $1,500 toward paying down student debt and boosting our savings. While it was barely habitable, we did our best to make the space homey. To start, we pressure-washed every surface, scrubbing rodent droppings from nooks and crannies and bleaching everything from floor to ceiling. Then, we added a large donated area rug and a couple of second-hand couches, and I packed in as many house plants as possible. Since there were no closets, we hung our clothes on racks we bought on Facebook Marketplace. Over the holidays, we added some decorations and played fireplace YouTube videos on the TV for a cozy, albeit artificial, ambiance. Our story isn't unique, and maybe that's what makes it so devastating In Summit County, Utah — where my husband was born and raised — the median home price as of January hovered around $1.7 million, the highest in the state. We're not looking for anything close to that, but instead hope for something near the $450,000 price range, which still feels like a stretch here. You might be thinking that moving to a cheaper area could be the solution, but that would mean leaving the town and tight-knit community we want to raise a family in, and that's a trade we're not ready to make. I came from a big Mormon family — the oldest of six children. We never wanted for love or food on the table, but when your parents are trying to stretch what they have between a gaggle of children, there's not much left to assist with down payments or real estate leg-ups. That kind of help just isn't in the cards. Still, my husband and I were determined to build a life in his hometown. We dreamed of a small piece of land where we could continue his family's legacy of farming, raise some children, and enjoy slow evenings sitting on the porch watching the sun go down over the Uinta Mountains. Our version of that dream came with frost-crusted mornings, penny pinching, and forgoing simple pleasures like going out to dinner or buying to-go coffee in the mornings. What it was like living in a garage Living with all our belongings in one large room, with boxes stacked nearly to the ceiling, often felt cramped and cluttered. Sometimes I'd lie in the darkened room at night, looking up at the garage door tracks overhead and wonder if we'd lost our minds. If all this sacrifice was really worth it. And often, the honest answer was a resounding: "I'm not sure." There were moments I felt ashamed. I'd go into my office in nice-looking thrifted clothing and feel like I was hiding some secret failure. On the surface, we looked like we had things together. No one knew we spent our nights huddled with our sweet Bernese mountain dog for warmth (even though we aren't typically cuddly sleepers). Or that we cried in that crowded space many times, contemplating how we were ever going to afford to get somewhere more comfortable. Or how, no matter how many plants I added, it never stopped feeling like survival mode. After a year and a half, we were finally able to move in with another family member, where we have more space and creature comforts. As difficult as our stretch in the garage was, it allowed us to pay down $15,000 in debt and save enough for a small down payment on a modest piece of land. Now, we plan to build a modest home of our own, which feels more attainable than buying even the most "affordable" house in our area. In our small town, it seems like more and more locals are being replaced and priced out by retirees from California, second homeowners, and short-term rentals. The reality is, many from small, picturesque towns like ours can't afford to stay in the places they were raised unless they downsize. I know we aren't alone. Quietly, others, like us, are doing something similar, whether it's living in basements, converting sheds into tiny homes, or moving back in with parents. It's basically downsizing into survival mode to help buy a more comfortable future. It's humbling and sometimes humiliating, but it's also a kind of hope. A gamble. A stubborn belief that maybe, just maybe, it might be enough to build something that feels like home.
Miami Herald
12-08-2025
- Miami Herald
Federal grand jury charges Florida Keys boat captain in a 2022 parasailing death
A federal grand jury charged a Florida Keys boat captain with the death of an Illinois woman who was killed after the parasail she and two children were attached to slammed into the Old Seven Mile Bridge on Memorial Day in 2022. The U.S. Attorney's Office charged 52-year-old Daniel Couch with one count of seaman's manslaughter following the Aug. 7 indictment. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted. Couch was at the helm of a 31-foot boat owned by Lighthouse Parasail out of the Middle Keys city of Marathon, towing Supraja Alaparthi, 33, her 10-year-old son and her 9-year old nephew, who were tethered to a parasail harness several feet in the air behind the vessel around 5 p.m. May 30, 2022. READ MORE: Family of mom whose parasail hit Florida Keys' Old Seven Mile Bridge takes new action A strong storm gust snagged the parasail making it difficult for Couch and his mate to lower Alaparthi and the children, investigators say. The 'pegged' parasail also risked dragging the boat, investigators said. It was Couch's next move that proved fatal and landed him in trouble with the law. Instead of steering the boat side to side and employing other options in which experts say were appropriate to lessen the wind underneath the parasail, Couch took a knife and cut the cable that attached the boat to the harness. He thought the move would cause Alaparthi and the boys to drop to the ocean surface so he could pick them up. Instead, the wind dragged the parasail with the family in tow for miles before they crashed into the iconic span that connects Knights Key in Marathon with Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. READ MORE: Captain cut parasailing cable before mom and kids slammed into Keys bridge, police say Alaparthi was pronounced dead at a nearby restaurant that rescuers used as a staging area. Her son suffered minor injuries, and her nephew was seriously injured. Florida Fish and Wlidlife Conservation Commission investigators said Couch did not maneuver his boat under the bridge to try to release the family after they hit the span and were trapped in the parasail. Instead, a flats fishing guide who watched the situation unfold sped his boat to the bridge to rescue the woman and children. His two charter passengers performed CPR on Alaparthi and the seriously injured child as the guide took them to paramedics waiting at the restaurant. READ MORE: Boat driver charged in deadly parasailing crash into a Florida Keys bridge The Monroe County State Attorney's Office charged Couch with manslaughter in September 2022. Though he has pleaded not guilty, that case is still pending, said Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield. In the FWC report that led to the state charge, invistigators noted the National Weather Service forecasted high winds, heavy rains and thunderstorms just before Couch took the family out on the water that day. It was not immediately known Monday whether Couch was in custody. Information about his legal representation in the federal case was not immediately available.
