Mayor Cherelle Parker, other Philadelphia leaders attend vigil for victims of mass shooting at Fairmount Park
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, along with other city and faith leaders, gathered in a circle with the family of 23-year-old Amya Devlin, who was killed in the shooting along with 21-year-old Mikhail Bowers.
The gathering Tuesday night was part of a community prayer vigil on Lemon Hill in response to the violence.
It was aimed at honoring the victims and supporting their families. The goal was to provide a space for collective mourning, reflection and healing with an overall goal of stopping gun violence.
"We also have to acknowledge that the behavior that was exhibited here is not normal, and we won't normalize that kind of activity here in our city," Parker said.
The crowd was filled with concerned community members, anti-gun violence advocates and organizations that work with the youth.
Many shared a similar pain of losing a loved one.
"Unfortunately, far too many of us really do understand your pain," state Sen. Sharif Street said. "We should be able to congregate in these spaces and not have people die on holidays."
While fighting gun violence has been a constant battle, city leaders vowed to continue to work to make sure residents feel safe in their own city.
"lt will continue to take all of us and all efforts, on all fronts, to make Philadelphia neighborhoods safer; no matter what space and place we decide to gather, it should be safe," Parker said.
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