As gun violence spiked in Philadelphia after the pandemic, some residents and nonprofits banded together to help victims.
Tanya Warden, 55, sits for a portrait at her workplace in Philadelphia on Tuesday, March 26 2024. Warden's son, Tyron Alexander, was shot multiple times and died in October 2020.Tanya Warden, 55, sits for a portrait at her workplace in Philadelphia on Tuesday, March 26 2024. Warden's son, Tyron Alexander, was shot multiple times and died in October 2020.Tanya Horton was at work when she got a vague phone call that would turn that day into the worst of her life.
Tyron was one of 499 people killed in 2020 in Philadelphia, most with a firearm. His death was one of more than 45,000 gun-related deaths registered in the U.S. that year. A wave of gun violence that would continue for several years was sweeping across the country.Tanya Warden, 55, holds a necklace with a photo of her son, Tyron Alexander, at her office in Philadelphia on Tuesday, March 26 2024.
She says that elected officials could do more, but that the problems that lead to gun violence in America are too big to simply rely on the government. Bethel said he believes it wasn't just the pandemic's disruptions that caused gun violence to spike. Getting a firearm is easier now thanks to ghost guns and kits used to build guns, Bethel said, adding that some people bought guns with government money meant to cushion the financial blows of the pandemic.
But the city faces headwinds: like many other police departments around the country, Philadelphia is struggling to recruit and retain police officers, another reason Bethel believes community engagement is so critical. EMIR, NOMO and Mothers in Charge — most of which are run with a combination of grants, fundraising and volunteers — are trying to invest in solutions. But grassroots organizations cannot solve gun violence alone.AVP is contracted by the District Attorney's office to provide service to victims. Natasha Daniela De Lima McGlynn, the executive director of AVP, says AVP brings federal, state and local governments together after mass violence to set up community resilience centers.
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