PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A community is in mourning and calling for action after an 11-year-old boy was gunned down and another child shot in one of the latest gun violence incidents in Philadelphia.
This comes as officials warn 2021 could be Philadelphia's most violent year ever.
11-year-old Harley Belance was shot and killed while riding his motor scooter at Oxford Circle in Northeast Philadelphia, Friday.
His father Lourlor Belance is still in shock over his son's killing, which also sent his 14-year-old friend to the hospital with a bullet wound.
"I couldn't imagine something (could have) happened to an 11-year-old boy," said the elder Belance.
Saturday evening, as police investigated the scene and began looking for whoever is responsible, neighbors set up a memorial for the child. They told NBC10 this kind of violence is not common in their neighborhood.
"I'm saddened that this happened," said neighbor Sophia Bubulka, with the Philadelphia Anti-Drug Anti-Violence Network. "We don't know why this happened, but we're trying to see what's going on, and see if we can help the family."
"I'm just trying to get to the root of what's happening and once we can do that, we can begin to start trying to eliminate this problem that's plauging our city," said David Clements, also with PAAN.
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On the other side of the city, in South Philadelphia, community members and elected officials came together for a rally against violence.
Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson called for the formation of a coalition to come up with solutions.
"I know for a fact the individuals out here today are here to affect change in our community," he said, while also calling on the community to hold itself accountable.
"My most frustrating part of this whole ordeal we built around gun violence," he told community members, "(is) we usually know what's going on before it happens."
"2021 is on track to be the most violent year we've experienced in our lifetimes," said Mayor Jim Kinney earlier this month, when Philadelphia had just over 100 homicides. The city's death toll has risen to 114, a 30% increase over this time in 2020.