Gunfire erupted early Monday morning inside Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in the Center City section of Philadelphia, killing one. Two police officers were also shot several miles from the hospital in pursuit of the suspect. The hospital is less than a five-minute walk from the mayor’s office in City Hall.
As a lifelong resident of the city, I find that such stories are becoming all too familiar.
“The tragic incident overnight at Jefferson Hospital was deeply unsettling and my heart breaks for the victim’s loved ones. I extend my deepest sympathies as they process this unimaginable loss,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a released statement that attempted to blame the guns involved.
“The public should also be assured that the Philadelphia Police Department is conducting a full investigation into this incident,” Kenney said. “This is yet another tragic example of weaponry that is far too powerful being in the hands of people who shouldn’t have access to them.”
A week ago, Philadelphia eclipsed the 400th homicide mark for this year. This week, people are being shot in hospitals. The city is on pace to shatter its previous record of 500 homicides, set in 1990. City officials continue to say they are searching for solutions to the gun violence surge, yet they continue to ignore the real solution — arrest criminals and put them in jail.
“I am heartbroken and outraged that we’ve lost more than 400 Philadelphians to preventable violence this year. My heart goes out to all families suffering from enormous grief,” Kenney said in a statement over a week ago. “Our administration continues to act with urgency to reduce violence and save lives.”
Kenney’s administration proceeded to do absolutely nothing about the gun violence during the week. He has also shown no urgency. This crime surge has been going on for years now. During that time, Kenney has prioritized issues such as removing statues of former Mayor Frank Rizzo and explorer Christopher Columbus. He has focused far more on George Floyd being killed in Minnesota than he has on the hundreds of innocent victims killed each year in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw echoed Kenney’s sentiments, saying in a prepared statement that she’s “devastated by the rising homicide rate.” Outlaw continued,”Our department continues to make a record number of crime gun confiscations, and a record number of arrests of the individuals in possession of them. However, this is not nearly enough. We will continue to work with our law enforcement and community partners to bring to justice those who seek to cause harm to our beautiful city and its people.”
That’s because you can’t confiscate your way out of a crime wave caused by soft-on-crime liberal policies.
Soros-funded District Attorney Larry Krasner, whose policy of releasing criminals is directly linked to the increase in murder rates, had his own boilerplate statement as well.
“We should all be outraged that senseless, preventable violence continues to claim and break lives here in Philadelphia and in communities across the country that are also experiencing alarming increases in gun violence,” Krasner said in a statement last week.
Krasner has overseen a 17% increase in withdrawals or dismissals of gun charges this year compared to 2015. The lack of prosecutions has coincided with a nearly 60% decrease in guilty pleas in gun crime cases.
Krasner’s outrage is matched only by his ardent refusal to hold criminals accountable. Numerous times he has worked to keep people out of jail, only to have them go on to commit murder. It’s become cyclical. A criminal goes into jail, and Krasner lets him out.
Things are worse now in Philadelphia than I’ve ever seen. The people are scared, and the city’s leaders do nothing but issue insincere statements. These criminal-coddling Democrats continue to put innocent people at risk.
