PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Seth Khammassi, a senior at Bartram High School in Southwest Philadelphia, glanced at Christopher Braxton in the final hours of his life on Wednesday.
"I saw him in the hall when I was leaving," said Khammassi. "He was in my grade, the senior class of 2022."
On Thursday, Khammassi left school for the day and found a Southwest Philadelphia community rallying together in a call for change after Braxton, 17, was shot and killed across the street from Bartram High, moments after leaving school.
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"This is very, very sad," said Khammassi. "It makes me feel scared, because this is the neighborhood we live in, and this is the school we go to every day."
Community members and elected officials met Khammassi and other students at the anti-violence rally.
"We’re going to do everything that we can do collectively that we can to address this issue," said Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson.
"We want our young people to know that we care for them."
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Johnson vowed to work with a number of community organizations in attendance to develop programs to help address gun violence.
"The only way we’re going to reduce the senseless gun violence we’re seeing in Philadelphia is by us working together and stepping up to the plate," said Johnson.
Khammassi and other students said they are thankful people working to help their community.
However, they said they’re not optimistic about seeing much change.
"No offense, but no, not really," said Joshua, another Bartram senior.
"It's the climate we live in."
