Violent weekend in Philadelphia leaves 7 dead, dozens injured
PHILADELPHIA - Violence continues to plague Philadelphia. Over the weekend, seven people were left dead and more than a dozen injured in shootings across the city.
It was the scene repeated 14 times this Mother’s Day weekend, shooting after shooting. When the gunfire finally ended, seven people were dead and18 wounded.
Police say several of the weekend murders were drug-related and one was a robbery. Homicide investigators believe several might be connected to earlier shootings.
MORE: 1 dead, 2 injured after triple shooting in North Philadelphia, police say
"A lot of retaliation, one murder leads to another murder that leads to another murder. It's a continuing cycle of violence," Homicide Unit Captain Jason Smith said during a press conference Monday.
Anti-violence advocate Bilal Qayyum runs one of the city’s anti-violence programs. He says numbers show more than half the shootings in Philadelphia stem from arguments, disputes that need to be settled before people turn to a gun.
"When they're uptight, they have no hope and they don't see any future this is what we're seeing, part of the explosion," he explained.
Police returned to the 100 block of East Albanus Street Monday. Five people were shot, two killed just after 4 p.m. on Mother’s Day afternoon.
"We need a citywide movement around arguments, just concentrate on the whole issue of an argument," Qayyum said.
RELATED:
7 dead, several hurt as gun violence continues to plague Philadelphia on Mother's Day
16-year-old injured in shooting in Voorhees, police say
Man, 20, dies after being shot in the head in Ogontz, police say
Man, woman shot in Southwest Philadelphia expected to survive, police say
___
DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP
SUBSCRIBE: Good Day Digest Newsletter | FOX 29 Philly on YouTube