Vietnam vet taking a stand against rising crime: 'It's a murdering spirit in this city'
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- As the crime in Philadelphia continues to climb at a record pace, one Vietnam veteran is taking a stand.
Seventy-three-old Donnie Andrews of Logan has been standing out in the cold at the corner of Belfield and Wyoming avenues holding a sign that reads: "Murder in Phila. Cain, you got to stop killing your brother Abel."
He will continue to do so for 30 days in a row. For 30 minutes each day. Twice a day, at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
"This gotta stop. I don't know when or how, but I gotta do something," Andrews said.
The Vietnam Vet has seen eight young men that he watched grow up shot and killed amid the ongoing violence.
To date, 168 people have been shot in the past 26 days. That's a staggering 58.5% increase since the same period last year.
On Wednesday night, a 30-year-old man was one of the latest victims in the city.
Police said the man was shot while driving on the 4900 block of Wakefield Street in Germantown. The gunman fired as many as 12 shots through the driver's door and window. Officers found the man dead in the driver's seat.
SEE ALSO: Homicides, shootings in Philadelphia already surpassing last year's record pace
"It's a murdering spirit in this city and money ain't the answer to clean it up," said Andrews. "Something is wrong man, something is wrong."
Andrews said he believes time is running out.
"I believe that anything I do, I gotta do it quickly. Time is running out man and I realize that so here I am," Andrews said.
So the 73-year-old veteran will take his sign, hold it up, and hope it connects with those who read the message.
"I may not start a big movement, I just wanna be the spark to get the fire started man," Andrews said.
