PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Six months after three teens were shot with one killed on a Southwest Philadelphia basketball court, a recreation center's programming and amenities have been upgraded in hope of becoming a safe haven for kids.
On a Friday night in mid-March, Kahree Simmons was playing basketball at the Christie Rec Center at 55th and Christian, when gunfire rang out.
The 16-year-old was shot, ran to the side of the building, and later died at the hospital.
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The shooting rocked the neighborhood. The center is across from a school.
City officials vowed to improve the center with programming, new basketball rims, a gaming center and stepping up patrols, all to attract neighborhood youth.
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Mayor Jim Kenney, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and other city representatives appeared Friday on the same court where Simmons was shot.
Kenney said they have evaluated rec centers throughout the city for security.
"Part of the physical assessment is safety assessment, and we have added cameras to a number of rec centers. We worked to reconfigure patrols so they are here at times when kids are here," said Kenney.
"Our priority at Christie has also been to support the community’s healing and to take steps to ensure they feel safe at their local rec center as every Philadelphian, and Philadelphia child should."
They are now trying to pour more money into the other neighborhood centers.
"They have all been assessed. I don’t think there is any specific assessment based on any negative that went on a site, other than more cameras or more police patrols those kinds of things," said Kenney.
As the city approaches 400 homicide victims so far this year (as of early Friday night), 34 of those deaths are Philadelphia children and teens. Most died because they were shot.
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