KYW In Depth: Trail of Suffering

Six people were shot, one of them killed, when someone opened fire at a graduation party here at Paschall Playground in Southwest Philly
Photo credit Tim Jimenez/KYW Newsradio
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The scourge of gun violence in Philadelphia was brought into sharp focus by the Father's Day weekend shooting in Southwest Philadelphia. A gunman opened fire at a graduation/Father's Day party in Paschall Playground on the night of Sunday, June 16, killing one man and wounding five other people. 

Authorities said 31 people were shot in Philadelphia that weekend alone in 16 separate incidents, resulting in a total of six fatalities. Police Commissioner Richard Ross said the police department would respond by ramping up patrols, and made pointed remarks that many saw as a shot at District Attorney Larry Krasner.

State Sen. Anthony H. Williams, in whose district the shooting took place, appealed to Gov. Tom Wolf to declare a state of emergency in response to gun violence in the city. And Mayor Jim Kenney pointed a finger at the state legislature for not passing strong gun controls.

In the latest edition of the KYW In Depth podcast, Carol MacKenzie examines the worsening epidemic through the story of a Philadelphian dealing personally with its devastating effects.

"When I unlocked the door, I felt a presence. I remember all the hairs on my arms standing up," Luis Berrios said. "As I turned around, at that moment when I went to yell 'run,' and I was going to run, I was shot. And everybody ran."

Listen to the full podcast: