Violent weekend that left 6 dead in Philadelphia has officials looking for answers
Among those who died was 14-year-old Anthony Pinkney.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A deadly weekend in Philadelphia that saw at least six homicides and a number of shootings has city officials looking for answers to the surge.
Among those who died was 14-year-old Anthony Pinkney. He was shot on Haddington Street in Overbrook on Saturday night.
Pinkney was the youngest victim to die over the violent weekend.
The 6abc data journalism team uncovered that Saturdays are typically the deadliest day of the week over the last three years, closely followed by Sundays and Mondays.
The violence kept police and the CARES responders busy. CARES is an organization that helps families affected by violence.
"No sooner than I'm leaving off my block, I get another alert of another homicide," said Melany Nelson from the CARES unit. "The shooting has to stop in the city of Philadelphia."
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner gathered city officials and nonprofits in West Philadelphia on Monday for a news conference to discuss the surge in violence and possible solutions.
"It's awful," said Krasner. "It's totally unacceptable that any child is ever shot."
Krasner urged groups to apply for violence prevention grants before the warmer weather strikes and the city sees a surge in violence again.
The grants go to community based organizations that have a positive impact. Officials say 43 programs have already received $950,000, and the DA wants to give out another $250,000.
All the grant money was seized from crimes.
The ECO Foundation received a grant to help stop crime and support victims. The founder, a gunshot survivor himself, said the kids need support and therapy.
"It's not knowing how to manage our emotions, not knowing how to manage our feelings," said Kyle 'The Conductor' Morris, the founder of ECO.
"It feels like gun violence is happening everywhere, but it's not," said Philadelphia Council Member Jamie Gauthier. "Gun violence is happening in the same place over and over and over again."
This year so far, the city has seen 79 homicides. The District Attorney's Office said Philadelphia usually averages 1.5 homicides a day.
