PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — "Absolutely unacceptable." That's what Philadelphia's police commissioner calls the number of children shot and killed so far this year.
Khaleek Cooper-Baldwin, the 19-year-old police say put a bullet through the neck of 11-year-old Harley Belance last week, is now in custody. Authorities say Belance was killed when he was riding his scooter with a 14-year-old in the Oxford Circle neighborhood.
Sources say Cooper-Baldwin was aiming for the 14-year-old, who was also shot but will physically recover.
Cooper-Baldwin turned himself in on Wednesday.
During Mayor Jim Kenney's press call about gun violence, Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said 13 kids have been shot and killed so far this year, and 48 others have been shot but survived.
Many of the incidents are connected to social media, Outlaw said. She urged parents and guardians to be nosy.
"Our kids are now hanging out on social media. This is where they live their lives. It's OK to be nosy. So many issues these days begin on social media and now end, tragically, in person."
Outlaw says kids should of course be able to go out and play or hang out with friends — but their guardians need to be heavily involved, asking questions and knowing what they are doing and who they are with as much as possible.
In total, nearly 500 people have been shot in just the first three months of 2021. That figure does not include homicides, which is now up to 120 victims. Outlaw said about 10% of all shootings this year involve juveniles.
