Community members took part in a silent march in Delaware County Sunday afternoon, calling for justice for Fanta Bility, the 8-year-old girl fatally shot by Sharon Hill police in late August.
The march, led by the Upper Darby-based anti-racism organization UDTJ (Understanding, Devotion, Take Action, Justice) and Delco Resists, began at the Sharon Hill police station and briefly stopped outside the Academy Park High School football stadium for eight minutes of silence — one for each year of her short life.
After receiving reports of a shooting near the high school on Aug. 27, officers allegedly fired toward a crowd of people leaving a football game at the stadium, hitting Fanta and at least three other people, including her 13-year-old sister.
Organizers said Sunday’s march was not only to honor the girl’s life, but also for “police accountability, improved and updated training procedures, and that the officers involved in the shooting be removed from the force.”
Fanta’s family has urged the Sharon Hill Police Department to fire the officers responsible for her death, and the Delaware County Black Caucus has also called for justice. The unnamed officers have been on administrative leave since the shooting.
“A mother is grieving and she will always be in grief. I just don’t get how we can stand here and be marching to talk about we just want some answers for the family,” said Carol Kazeem with Delco Resists. “A mother shouldn’t have to worry about that. The family shouldn’t have to scream and holler for that — and neither should we … Wrong is wrong. It happened. Just right your wrongs. It doesn’t matter how it started. It happened and she’s gone.”
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