Brazen attacks on the rise in Philadelphia; officials push anti-gun violence efforts
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- With homicides rising above 300 in Philadelphia, and shootings well above 1,000 this year, more acts of gun violence are happening with little consequence of who is around and who can see - including police.
On Sunday, at about 12:20 a.m., officers responded to 24th and Cecil B. Moore Avenue for a disturbance outside a bar where a large crowd gathered.
Officer started walking toward a man when he was shot five times - just feet away from police.
Officers tracked the vehicle and brought in two people for questioning.
The 32-year-old man who was shot was rushed by officers to Temple Hospital where he died.
"It all happened so fast ... it was like hit and go," said resident Mike Walker.
Walker did not see the shooting but heard the shots and said - in general - the shooters are not scared of police.
"They don't care, they gotta do what they gotta do. Police gotta do their job," Walker added.
He even suggested police start walking beats in neighborhoods as more of a presence needs to be out there.
In another bold shooting, police released surveillance video on Tuesday showing a perpetrator firing at least a dozen times into a vehicle.
The gunman can then be seen running up to the passenger side window of the car and shooting into the car at close range.
On Tuesday, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said she was not surprised by the boldness of suspects.
"I've been speaking about folks being emboldened and the brazenness of the shootings since I've been here," she said.
Outlaw has an anti-gun violence initiative outlined on the departments' website. There is now an entire city office dedicated to anti-gun violence programs.
Mayor Jim Kenney said the main issue is the abundance of firearms on the streets.
"People are cold and callous and they have access to weapons," Kenney said. "The flow of guns into this community is insane. We took about 400 guns on the street this month and they're replaced almost instantaneously."
