PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia and Pennsylvania legislators came together with Germantown residents Friday afternoon to call for peace after a senior citizen was gunned down this week.
Demonstrators chanted in the background and held signs demanding a stop to the violence, while Pennsylvania state Sen. Sharif Street, State Rep. Darisha Parker and councilmember Cindy Bass stood alongside them. Residents came to stand up for their community.
"The senator, the representative and myself work as a team day and night to address the senseless violence that's happening in our neighborhoods," said Bass, "and we're not going to stop."
The rally came after a 69-year-old man, identified by officials as James Watson, was killed inside a Citizens Bank in Germantown Thursday night. Watson was found next to an ATM, shot twice in the abdomen.
Three men were taken into custody later that evening in connection with the shooting.
Police rounded them up just after 6 p.m., at the scene of the crime, in front of the Citizens Bank at Germantown and Chelten avenues where Watson was killed.
Investigators said one of the men fit the description of the person seen on surveillance video shooting Watson. That man was also wearing the same outfit. So far, no word on any charges.
Parker was angry that the grandfather was no longer with his family.
"That image is traumatic for anybody," said Parker. She stressed the violence needs to stop, and said it starts not with leadership, especially from individuals in each community.
"All of us need to look in the mirror," said Parker. "That means the leaders would be from your schools, from your mosques, from your churches, from your business store owners, to your parents."
These events happened days after Philadelphia police officers chased and shot armed 12-year-old Thomas Siderio. According to officials, the officers fired on Siderio after he fired shots into the officers' car. Bass and Parker said the most vulnerable in our city are suffering.
"I am horrified that this young person had access to a firearm that powerful in our city," said Bass. She suggested the community come together while also demanding more from elected leaders.
"We would love to see the governor do more. We would love to see more from the mayor, but in the meantime, we still all have a job to do and we're going to do it."
KYW Newsradio's Andre Bennett contributed to this story.
What would a state of emergency mean for Philadelphia, and could it make a difference in the gun violence crisis? Take a deeper look at the issue here:
