East Germantown residents demand action after series of shootings

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Residents, state leaders, city officials and anti-violence groups concerned about recent shootings targeting recreational centers gathered Tuesday night to strategize a summer plan to keep families safe.

State Rep. Andre D. Carroll, D-Philadelphia, hosted the town hall at the Lonnie Young Recreation Center in East Germantown. Earlier this month, an 18-year-old was critically injured at a playground near the recreational center. It was the second shooting near a recreational center in just a few days — places meant for children and families to gather and play.

“In the summertime, we are going to see a spike in violence unfortunately,” Carroll said.

There have been seven shootings near Philadelphia recreational centers this year compared to 37 in 2024 and 68 in 2023, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. City officials said they don’t want to see any shootings at recreational centers in the city.

“We have to save our community. Nobody is flying in with a cape to save our community,”  said state Sen. Sharif Street, who represents the 3rd District.

East Germantown resident Joy Adams said people don’t know how to communicate with the young people.

“We don’t talk to these kids. We talk at these kids,” Adams said. “These kids have a lot of anger.”

Adams said her son, Quinzel Woodland, was shot around the corner from the Lonnie Young Recreation Center in 2016. She said he was shot a second time 10 minutes away from the center in 2017.

William Mackey, another resident, said he wants the violence to stop. Mackey wants elected officials to take more action.

“I think we have to engage our young people more with positivity, after school internships, year round internships, career building, and we have to get involved with young people at that level,” Mackey said.

Marcia Lynnette, who lives near the Finley Recreation Center in East Mount Airy, said the violence is hitting close to home. There was a shooting there on April 1.

“We’re at the beginning of a warm season,” Lynette said.“So, we need to try to combat it — head it off with different suggestions and ideas, which is what brings a lot of folks out tonight with their thoughts of ‘What can we do to stop this? Is there an end?’”

Dorothy Wilder is asking the same question. The grandmother of three is concerned about bringing her grandkids to the playground.

“I would like to see patrols at the playgrounds, not just Finley, not just here, you know, regular patrols that even if they just drive by, that would help deter some of the things that are going on,”  she said.

At the meeting Tuesday night, police said they are beefing up patrols in and around neighborhood recreational centers in the spring and summer as well as checking cameras and lights at those facilities. They said they will also conduct hourly checks and communicate with staff on a consistent basis.

Susan Slawson, commissioner for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, said she wants to make sure residents feel comfortable when they come to these facilities with their families. She said she doesn’t believe that recreational centers have become targets for crime.

“I don’t think the rec center is intentional per se. And I don’t have an answer for that. I think if we did, we would stop it.” Slawson said. “But I don’t have an answer for why. I believe that it’s an opportunity. That’s what happens with crime across the city of Philadelphia. It is an opportunity. So wherever that opportunity is, that’s where the crime happens.”

Residents said they will remain vigilant and anti-violence groups vow to do the same.

Chantay Love, president of EMIR Healing Center, which stands for Every Murder Is Real, said her organization wants to offer more trauma support at city recreational centers.

“Rec centers are those places that need community groups like myself to be a part of it,” Love said. “So that we can diffuse when there is conflict so that we can help heal the broken heart.”