West Philly residents mark MLK Day by pleading for end to gun violence WPVI UP NEXT
In West Philadelphia on Monday night, residents marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day by pleading for an end to gun violence.
Mikell Stokes has been touched by gun violence twice. First, her son Gerald Campbell, and most recently her wife, Melanie Raye in 2020.
She joined a dozen of other mothers on the 200 block of Simpson Street on Monday, all of whom have lost children to gun violence. They re mission to call attention to the continued bloodshed on city streets, as part of a call to action on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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Sharon James lost her son John Heggie III, 30, 2 years ago to the day to gun violence. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)
For Sharon James, it feels like the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday carries more weight in Philadelphia this year, especially as homicides in the city reached a 30-year high claiming 499 victims and young people find themselves increasingly caught in the crossfire.
She remembers King’s birthday growing up in North Philly as a day of unity and service for whole communities. Kids who had the day off from school spent the day volunteering with the community, she recalled.
“Things have changed and even if you try to do anything, people are scared,” James said. “They’re scared people are going to start shooting. We got people going to the corner store … and they’re shooting the kids.”
Melany Nelson is still frustrated by what happened last fall.
During a preliminary hearing in October, one of her clients at Northwest Victim Services testified against the man accused of shooting him more than seven times. As he recounted the events that landed him in the hospital, Nelson said court staff caught the suspect’s girlfriend trying to take a photo of him with her cell phone.
The woman was also using her phone to record the man’s testimony, said Nelson, executive director of the Philadelphia-based nonprofit. Citing safety concerns, she declined to provide more details about the incident what she considers a brazen example of witness intimidation.