Pre-Fourth shooting in Kingsessing was not Philly’s norm
An Independence Day eve shooting that killed five and left two children with gunshot wounds was Philadelphia’s deadliest single incident in over a decade. Though the gun violence epidemic regularly causes the equivalent of a mass shooting in the city, this was likely not a targeted attack but random, authorities said.
It more closely matched mass shootings seen elsewhere in the nation; the suspect was captured wearing body armor and had an assault rifle. Here’s what else we know about the tragedy in Kingsessing.
With ‘Muni’ renovation, skateboarders fear end of an era
Philly skateboarders are frustrated over renovation plans for Thomas Paine Plaza. The area outside MSB — where the “Your Move” art installation was recently removed — is being renovated in favor of more green space and a seating area.
But after what happened to Love Park, skaters are fearful the loss of “Muni” could spell the end for Philadelphia’s rich history of plaza-style street skating, BP intern Deesarine Ballayan reports.
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
• Changes are coming to Philly School District’s controversial lottery admissions for selective schools, which dissatisfied 45% of principals and was disliked by 54% of students, per an Accenture survey. [Chalkbeat]
• A Lancaster County grandma who attended the Moms for Liberty summit in Philly says speakers embraced the erosion of one of democracy’s most important principles: the separation of church and state. [Billy Penn]
• Last year Philly had 168 “mosquito days” — aka warm and muggy with at least 42% humidity and temps between 50° and 95°F, per a new report. [Axios/Climate Central]
• The Philadelphia Art Commission handles a lot more than just public art approvals. It reviews plans for city-funded buildings as well as anything built on public land, keeping things like sustainability in mind. [Grid]
• Philly celebrated Independence Day with a parade, dancing in sporadic rain showers, and plenty of characters, from Elmo to Betsy Ross. Here’s a photo essay of Fourth of July fun. [Billy Penn]
MAYOR WATCH
Mayor Kenney joins City Solicitor Diana Cortes at City Hall to announce new litigation being filed to address gun violence in Philadelphia (3:30 p.m.).
Weekly brief on gun violence prevention (with PCGVR)
We publish this report each week in partnership with the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting. • The city’s anti-violence community grant program touched more than 4,800 people and generally served its intended purpose, according to a long-awaited evaluation. Despite initial delays in distributing funds, most groups reached their intended audiences, launched or expanded services, and received positive feedback. [Trace/PDF/WHYY]
• Philly Truce and Life Outside the Streets are bringing back “Safe City Summer,” which will tour 10 neighborhoods and use Free Library branches as bases to train people interested in joining a peace patrol. [West Philly Local]
• Global Philadelphia’s annual “Beer Summit” conversation at Reading Terminal Market on July 12 centers around gun violence prevention this year. Free RSVP. [Eventbrite]
• The Penn Injury Science Center is looking to contract with community-based orgs to “provide a positive, trusted adult presence for students as they travel to and from school.” Submit your info here if interested. [Penn/Google Forms]
By the numbers in Philadelphia
- 29: Shooting victims recorded last week, vs. 49 the week prior. [City Controller via @PCGVR]
- 929: Shooting victims this year so far, down 22% vs. this time last year. [PCGVR]
- 212: Year-to-date homicides, down 19% vs. last year’s pace; up 38% vs. five years ago [Philly Police]
ON THE CALENDAR
🍺 BP Quizzo is on North American Street this month! Join us for a night of Philly news and history trivia at Punch Buggy Brewing Co. Expect $5 pours, discounted nachos from Puerco Loco, and a $50 gift card for the winning team. Free with RSVP, see you there. (6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 12)
🧆 The Point Breeze Night Market brings food trucks, live entertainment, and family-friendly fun to Point Breeze Avenue. Free to attend. (4 to 10 p.m. Thursday, July 6)
🎨 Cerulean Arts Gallery on Ridge Avenue features five local artists working in various media, from paint to photo to lithograph. Meet them at an opening reception; the show continues throughout July. (2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 8)
Catch up on the previous week
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