PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The 21-year-old man, Domonic Billa, killed inside the Philadelphia Mills Mall on Monday night has been identified as the stepson of a county detective who works in the District Attorney's Office. His death pushes the number of homicide victims this year to 119.
Another man, 55-year-old Anthony Merriett, who was working on an anti-gun violence video was also killed later the same night. He was shot several times on Page Street near 19th and Diamond streets in North Philadelphia around 8 p.m. as he left an interview for the film.
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City Council held their regular gun violence hearing coincidentally on Tuedsday, with Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw testifying first.
"We found there were patterns around social media, open-air drug markets and quite frankly, narcotics, particularly in the East Division, that was driving a lot of crime city-wide," she said.
She also said officers have increasingly taken more guns off the street — 1,500 so far this year — but she says the department has tracked conviction rates for gun offenses steadily decreasing.
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Homicides have been steadily hovering around a figure 30% higher than last year’s record breaking year.
District Attorney Larry Krasner testified in the afternoon.
"The five-year decline in conviction rate for mere possession of a firearm, that ain’t good. The five-year decline in solve rates for shootings, that ain’t good. I am not saying that to point a finger or blame someone else, I am saying that, because just like you and other members of council want to solve this problem, we want to solve this problem."
Krasner, in his testimony, focused on continuing to prevent shootings in a community-based way, and continued his push for better forensic technology.
The DA was also asked about withdrawing gun cases in court, and pointed to a lack of witness cooperation, which has long been a struggle for district attorney administrations.