Philadelphia police address concerns following deadly mass shooting in Grays Ferry
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police's 17th District organized a community meeting on Thursday night following the deadly mass shooting on Etting Street earlier this week.
"Tonight's purpose is to discuss and provide you the resources to assist you with any help regarding the incident on 1500 Etting Street and to answer some of your questions," said Capt. Keith McKinney to a room of concerned residents inside the W.M.A Barrett Nabburs Center.
Philadelphia Police Inspector Jamil Taylor said a generational neighborhood beef is at play, and their number one focus is preventing retaliation in addition to making arrests.
MORE | Video shows multiple people opening fire in Grays Ferry mass shooting that left 3 people dead
"I will tell you this here, regardless if the police are out there, if they want to get somebody, they're going to get somebody, simple as that. But we're going to do what we have to do to make sure we're in the areas to try to prevent it," Taylor said.
"We'll certainly make arrests as fast as we can, because we know what went down shouldn't have gone down and people are living in fear because of what happened," he added.
Multiple people were shot and three were killed in the mass shooting in the Grays Ferry neighborhood. The hail of rapid gunfire was caught on video.
"My first thought was, how does our young people have access to such weapons," said Kim Smith of South Philadelphia.
Smith said she's discouraged and upset, which drove her to attend Thursday's meeting.
"This is my community. This is my community. We're all community leaders and we're out here trying to make a difference," Smith added.
Tensions ran high at times during the meeting, which was scheduled to provide resources to the community in the wake of the violence and answer questions. Victim assistance and community relations officers have also been on the ground.
"We're trying our best to put things in place, more resources for you to ensure you feel confident in where you are," McKinney said.
Neighbors are looking for peace of mind in a community that has made significant positive strides in the last several years, according to Adam Geer, the city's Chief Public Safety Director.
"I come out here tonight to find some solutions. I have a lot of confidence in my community. We want a place where you can come and be safe and enjoy yourself. It's just bad, a lot of people don't know how to celebrate a good summer," said Norman Best of Grays Ferry.
Inspector Taylor said detectives have leads and tips they're pursuing, but the investigation is ongoing. He also said police have encountered challenges in getting information from the public, but they continue to urge the community to come forward with any helpful information by emailing tips@phillypolice.com or calling (215) 686-TIPS.
