Philly residents pack MLK High School to discuss gun violence solutions

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia residents packed Martin Luther King High School Thursday to discuss gun violence solutions with city leaders.

"These young men out there, they don't have solutions to try to live. My solution is we need to have more trades," said local barber Ron Murray.

Some suggested a city-wide campaign to speak up.

"If you're running in our community killing our babies, killing our children and wreaking havoc, we have to come together and distinguish between protecting and snitching," said a neighbor who lost his son to gun violence.

Others, like young people, begged for role models.

6abc and WHYY team up for a town hall on the gun violence crisis in Philadelphia, which has claimed more than 345 lives this year.

"There are some adults out here leading our youth on the wrong path," said student Destiny Holly.

The latest stats show there have been 454 homicides in Philadelphia this year. That's compared to 324 by this time in 2020.

Clearly, there's no easy solution, but the size of the crowd Thursday night seemed to give hope to those in attendance to know they're not alone in looking for solutions.

"You cannot do it without the people. You have to have a grassroots effort to keep crime under control," said Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.

"We're going to synthesize the information, put together a package and share it back to community and say, 'We heard you,'" said Pennsylvania State Representative Stephen Kinsey who organized the event.

For anyone who didn't attend the meeting, you may share your ideas with Rep. Kinsey's office by clicking here.