Latest news with #CherelleParker
CBS News
9 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Gun violence a focus in Philadelphia today as mayor plans vigil for Fairmount Park mass shooting victims
Philadelphia is standing against gun violence Tuesday with two events, one week after the fatal mass shooting on Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park. The shooting late on Memorial Day killed 21-year-old Mikhail Bowers and 23-year-old Amya Devlin. Nine other people were hurt. Families have held their own balloon release events and have mourned those lost as police continue looking for the shooters involved. Investigators now say six guns were used, though the number of people who fired those guns is unclear. The shooting in the final week of May came just before June, also known as Gun Violence Awareness Month. Mayor Cherelle Parker plans to address gun violence in a joint press conference at 12 p.m. along with several other city leaders, including Chief Public Safety Director Adam Geer and members of the Office of Safe Neighborhoods. You can watch that news conference live at the player above or wherever CBS News Philadelphia is streaming. Then at 6 p.m., Parker and other officials are set to take part in a community prayer vigil at Lemon Hill. "This gathering will provide a space for collective mourning, reflection, and healing while fostering dialogue on community safety and the ongoing challenges related to gun violence. The vigil will include a series of prayers, moments of silence, and opportunities for community members to share their thoughts," the city says in a news release. Everyone attending Tuesday night's event is encouraged to bring candles, flowers or personal mementos to honor those lost. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Deadly Fairmount Park shooting investigation: Everything we know after 2 killed, 9 injured on Memorial Day
The Brief Federal and local authorities are investigating a deadly mass shooting at Fairmount Park that killed two people and left nine others injured on Memorial Day. Mayor Cherelle Parker and other city leaders spoke out about next steps in the investigation. The victims' families and community members have expressed their heartbreak and concern after the deadly incident. PHILADELPHIA - An investigation continues after a mass shooting occurred at Fairmount Park on Memorial Day, killing two people and injuring nine others. 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. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said investigators are searching social media for posts that may have hinted about the shooting before it happened. "We'll go through all the social media stuff that's come after and prior to see if there's anything I could have missed," Bethel told reporters. Mayor Cherelle Parker rebuked the shooting, calling it a "heinous act of violence that was inhumane with no regard for human life." She vowed to use all federal and local authorities to track down those responsible for the deadly gunfire. "This was wartime ammunition that was just opened on Philadelphians and those who were here in our city," she continued. Bethel continued, after chilling audio from the grisly scene was played, "That's the sound of war. So when you have an automatic weapon that you can empty a magazine, a 20-clip magazine in seconds, it is meant to kill, to create carnage and to hit as many people as possible. And in this case, you see, it was able to do that." Investigators believe at least one of the guns used in the Memorial Day shooting was illegally modified with a "switch" that makes it fire more rapidly. 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 we know Law enforcement sources say despite finding additional shell casings to the 21 previously collected, they still believe three guns were used in the shooting that killed 23-year-old Amya Devlin and 21-year-old Mikhail Bowers, and injured nine others, including six teenagers. They believe the investigation will rely heavily on ballistic and DNA evidence recovered from the scene, which will take some time, as well as reviewing social media and cooperation from witnesses. Sources say they are exploring the possibility, based on groups of casing found at the scene, that there was shooting back and forth, rather than a sole ambush of gunfire. Most of the victims have told investigators a similar story, according to sources, that it was crowded, dark outside, there were sudden gunshots and then an effort to try to get to safety. During the Tuesday morning press conference, Commissioner Kevin Bethel said starting this weekend, there will be a deployment plan that puts officers in the park. "The intelligence is coming through our portal, it's not fast enough. Our portal is not fast enough. We need to evolve and so we're going to be putting a number of different law enforcement assets into the park to identify activity ahead with the hope that we can stave off these activities before they occur," he said. What they're saying After an emotional response to the deadly Memorial Day shooting at Fairmount Park during Tuesday morning's press conference, on Wednesday, Mayor Chelle Parker told FOX 29 the city will continue with what she calls a holistic approach to public safety. "We're going to continue doing what we're doing because we do know it's working, and that is our public safety strategy to focus on prevention, intervention, and enforcement," she said. Mayor Parker continued by saying the comprehensive approach includes partnerships with Parks and Recreation, among others. She says it's not just a police issue, but also points to the reduction in homicides so far this year. "The data is not subjective, it does not lie, the numbers are the numbers, the city of Philadelphia is outpacing every other city, I'm talking about across the country, in the number of homicides, we need to make sure we continue moving in that direction," she said. "That's going to mean some hard decisions from time to time."
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Philadelphia honors Quinta Brunson with key, mural at alma mater that inspired 'Abbott Elementary'
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia's mayor honored actor and producer Quinta Brunson with a key to the city Wednesday in a ceremony dedicating a separate mural at Brunson's alma mater, which was the inspiration for her show 'Abbott Elementary.' The producer, writer and comedian gazed at the shiny key handed to her by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and quipped: 'Wow! I want to ask the question on everybody's mind: What does it open?'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Philadelphia honors Quinta Brunson with key, mural at alma mater that inspired 'Abbott Elementary'
Philadelphia's mayor honored actor and producer Quinta Brunson with a key to the city Wednesday in a ceremony dedicating a separate mural at Brunson's alma mater, which was the inspiration for her show ' Abbott Elementary.' The producer, writer and comedian gazed at the shiny key handed to her by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and quipped: 'Wow! I want to ask the question on everybody's mind: What does it open?' Brunson used the ceremony held at Andrew Hamilton School to celebrate the power of public education, public schoolteachers and music and arts education. Her parents and siblings were in attendance, along with Joyce Abbott, the teacher who inspired the name of the show's fictional school, the 'real life Gregory' and other teachers and classmates. The mural, titled Blooming Features, was created by artist Athena Scott with input from Brunson and Hamilton students and staff. Its brightly colored depictions of real people from the school wrap around the outside of the school's red brick facade. Brunson described taking inspiration from the murals painted along her subway route as a kid, especially when she saw one of her own teachers featured. She said she hopes this mural has the same effect. The actor said she nixed an initial mock-up brought to her by ABC that featured actors from the Emmy Award-winning show in favor of actual community members — because 'that's how you know there is a future.' 'You don't need to see famous people on the wall. You need to see you on the wall,' she said. 'Painted, beautiful. We are beautiful. It makes a difference. It made a difference for me, so I know even if it makes a difference for just one child, that one child matters.' Jane Golden, executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, said she was thrilled when Brunson featured her organization on an episode of the show. Philadelphia is ranked No. 1 in the nation for its murals. 'When people visit Philadelphia they are struck by the works of art that grace the sides of buildings in every single neighborhood of the city,' she said. 'For us, this is a matter of equity. It's great to have world class galleries and museums — that's wonderful — but the fact that everyone everywhere can walk out the door and see large-scale works of public art that represent them, like the school here, that is awesome.'
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Philadelphia honors Quinta Brunson with key, mural at alma mater that inspired 'Abbott Elementary'
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia's mayor honored actor and producer Quinta Brunson with a key to the city Wednesday in a ceremony dedicating a separate mural at Brunson's alma mater, which was the inspiration for her show 'Abbott Elementary.' The producer, writer and comedian gazed at the shiny key handed to her by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and quipped: 'Wow! I want to ask the question on everybody's mind: What does it open?' Brunson used the ceremony held at Andrew Hamilton School to celebrate the power of public education, public schoolteachers and music and arts education. Her parents and siblings were in attendance, along with Joyce Abbott, the teacher who inspired the name of the show's fictional school, the 'real life Gregory' and other teachers and classmates. The mural, titled Blooming Features, was created by artist Athena Scott with input from Brunson and Hamilton students and staff. Its brightly colored depictions of real people from the school wrap around the outside of the school's red brick facade. Brunson described taking inspiration from the murals painted along her subway route as a kid, especially when she saw one of her own teachers featured. She said she hopes this mural has the same effect. The actor said she nixed an initial mock-up brought to her by ABC that featured actors from the Emmy Award-winning show in favor of actual community members — because 'that's how you know there is a future.' 'You don't need to see famous people on the wall. You need to see you on the wall,' she said. 'Painted, beautiful. We are beautiful. It makes a difference. It made a difference for me, so I know even if it makes a difference for just one child, that one child matters.' Jane Golden, executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, said she was thrilled when Brunson featured her organization on an episode of the show. Philadelphia is ranked No. 1 in the nation for its murals. 'When people visit Philadelphia they are struck by the works of art that grace the sides of buildings in every single neighborhood of the city,' she said. 'For us, this is a matter of equity. It's great to have world class galleries and museums — that's wonderful — but the fact that everyone everywhere can walk out the door and see large-scale works of public art that represent them, like the school here, that is awesome.'
