SHARON HILL, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A Delaware County community came together on Wednesday to name a park after a child killed by police four years ago, ensuring her name will live on for years to come.
It was on Aug. 27, 2021, when three Sharon Hill police officers opened fire in the direction of gunshots they heard after a high school football game. Gunfire hit 8-year-old Fanta Bility and three other people. Fanta died from her wounds.
“There’s no day passed that we forget Fanta,” said Siddiq Kamara, Fanta's cousin and chair of the Fanta Bility Foundation. “One of our goals is to keep Fanta’s name alive.”
They took a step towards that on what would have been Fanta’s 12th birthday by renaming the Sharon Hill Memorial Park, off of Chester Pike, the Fanta Bility Playground.
“Today is about coming together in love, remembrance and hope,” said consultant Dawn Chavous, representing the foundation.
“Naming this playground after her ensures that Fanta’s legacy will endure for generations to come, serving as a place where children can play, learn and grow, just as Fanta would have, if she was here with us today.”
The three officers — Sean Dolan, Brian Devaney and Devon Smith — were fired and pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment charges. They were each sentenced to five years of probation.
The Bility family later filed a wrongful death suit against the borough of Sharon Hill, which was settled in September of 2023 for $11 million. Family lawyer Michael van der Veen said the case ensured the young girl’s impact would be felt throughout the community.
“There would be a citizens advisory board for the hiring of police officers in this town and that has been accomplished,” he said. “There will be deadly-use-of-force training, mandatory for all officers on this force.”
Kamara says he hopes the playground gives joy to children in the community. “She’s not here in the physical, but her spirit is still with us today,” he said. “I want people to reflect on that.”