Pastor pleas for end to gun violence

A Philadelphia pastor pleaded again with the mayor and aldermen to find an end to rising crime in the city.

The Rev. Willie C. Rush, pastor of Goodway Missionary Baptist Church, delivered a passionate plea to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen at City Hall last week, addressing the pressing issue of crime.

“A few days and a few weeks ago, we’ve had some shootings going on,” Rush said. “The question is, ‘Is there anything that we can do as a city to try our best to stop all this shooting?’”

Rush addressed the mayor and board in January 2022 with similar concerns.

This time, Rush raised concerns about how guns are finding their way into the hands of individuals who are not old enough to purchase them legally. He urged city leaders to investigate the sources of these weapons.

“There’s got to be someone buying a gun for them, so we need to try to get to the front of it to see if we can stop this from happening in our city,” he said.

Rush specifically referred to a recent shooting at Kizzy Donald’s house on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The home had been targeted before, with the first incident occurring two years ago during a conflict between rival gangs. 

Despite raising the issue at City Hall back then, Rush expressed frustration that little progress had been made.

“We’ve got to slow this thing down,” Rush said. “Most of the time, it’s the same young people over and over. I don’t know how they go to jail, get out, and do the same thing.”

Rush suggested holding individuals in jail without bond until their trial dates and asked if those involved in the recent shootings had been apprehended.

Police Chief Eric Lyons responded, saying that law enforcement had made several arrests in connection with two recent incidents.

“In the incident on Kosciusko Road and Robinhood Circke, six of those seven individuals were arrested and are in jail right now. On MLK, it was a related incident where three individuals were charged, arrested, and are in jail,” Lyons said.

Lyons also addressed the gun issue, reporting that the department has confiscated 150 firearms this year. He commended his officers for their hard work and acknowledged that similar problems were plaguing other cities.

Donnie McGowan, who was present with Rush, asked the aldermen, “What are we looking at for future situations?”

Ward 4 Alderman Shaun Seales said that the city is already working on it and referenced a presentation during the same meeting by representatives from Flock Safety and Wilson Technology about installing cameras to help combat crime.

“I was with Kizzy that night, and I promised her I’m going to do something,” Seales said. “We are doing the best we can.”

Lyons said that cameras are already in place in some areas, including Westside and Booker T., but a lot of times the department relies on the help of resident cameras

“We encourage everybody who has cameras to get one facing towards the street,” Seales said.

Rush questioned the aldermen about the safety of their own neighborhoods, drawing comparisons to areas like Woodland Hills, which experience fewer shootings.

Ward 2 Alderman Jim Fulton acknowledged issues in his ward, such as Valley View. Rush then suggested that lower crime areas might have practices that could serve as a model for other neighborhoods while not trying to frame the issue as a racial divide.

“We have to get control of our community and our families,” Young said. “Until we do that, we can put a thousand cameras up and still won’t stop the foolishness.”

Young said that the majority of offenders are between the ages of 17 and 35, and he stressed the need for a cultural and behavioral shift.

“Some way we have to capture that mindset to change their behavior. I don’t know what else we got, but Jesus. He will do it from the inside,” said Young, senior pastor of Calvary Apostolic Faith Church in Louisville.

The mayor agreed that the legal system needs to take a tougher stance and mentioned the countless calls he and Chief Lyons receive from mothers pleading for their children to be bonded out.

“We are trying to do everything within our power to prevent it, and we hope the cameras help to catch them quicker,” Young said. “Every part of the community needs help.”