Philadelphia mass shooting: Governor Tom Wolf says ‘enough, let’s act’ as gun violence kills three

Phildelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner described the day leading up to the mass shooting in Philadelphia as a largely positive one, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The bars and restaurants of the legendary South Street were bursting with people, as a concert had taken place in the area earlier that night and even more had flocked to the area for weekend celebrations on the eve of the 50th Philadelphia first Gay Pride Day parade.

The follownig day, Mr Krasner told the Inquirer that Saturday’s shooting was “as bad as it gets”. Later in the day, the district attorney took a much stronger stance on social media, where he advised lawmakers to avoid accepting donations from the lobbying groups that advocate for guns, specifically calling out the National Rifle Association.

“The terrible crimes last night on South Street tell our Pennsylvania legislators it’s time for real action. Boycott NRA lobbyists, boycott NRA donations, and bring real common sense gun regulation to Pennsylvania. Now,” Mr Krasner tweeted.

In 2021, Mr Krasner won reelection in a contest that largely tested his progressive and anti-mass-incarceration approach, all of which was happening amid the city’s rise in deadly gun violence.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf reacted to Saturday night’s deadly mass shooting by first offering his thoughts to the families and friends mourning their loved ones, but then quickly pivoted to make his tweet a rallying cry for “act” on gun violence.

“11 injured and 3 dead in a shooting on South Street in Philadelphia last night. My thoughts are with those injured and the loved ones left mourning,” the Democrat tweeted on Sunday morning following the brazen attack in his state’s largest city. “Legislators: Enough gun violence. Enough deaths. Let’s act.”

The 19 students and two teachers killed during the mass school shooting in Uvalde last week all had different stories, hopes and dreams. But one thing many of their surviving family members share is a desire to see the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle used in the massacre outlawed or severely restricted.

The gun, a civilian version of a gun American troops used in Vietnam, is both extremely popular among consumers and mass shooters, who used some version of an AR-15-style rifle during the massacres in Buffalo, Aurora, Sandy Hook, Christchurch, and many more cities around the world that now evoke the image of horrific gun violence.

But many parents in Uvalde and legislators around the country are trying to take this gun off the streets after the Texas massacre, the second deadliest school shooting in US history.

Get the full story below.

The only meaningful thing Congress has done since a spate of recent shootings is go on break, argued Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg on social media.

“14 people were shot on Philadelphia’s South Street last night. Congress has done one thing since the shooting in Texas - they’ve gone on recess,” Mr Hogg, who was in high schoo lduring the 2018 shootings. “It’s time for action - not recess or debate. It’s time to come together and focus on what we can agree on and act even if small.”

The Philadelphia Eagles are calling for strong control measures after yet another mass shooting has struck, this time in the NFL club’s home city.

“Enough is enough! Assault weapons loaded with high-capacity magazines are a clear threat to public safety and should be banned,” wrote Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie in a statement. “Assault weapons loaded with high-capacity magazines are a clear threat to public safety and should be banned.”

He argued that research shows that if a federal assault weapons ban was still in place, mass shootings would go way down.

The Eagles leader also called for a universal mandatory background check law.

Pat Toomey, whose home state of Pennsyvlania is the latest to experience a shocking mass shooting, is part of a bipartisan group of US Senators working on renewed gun control legislation.

“The brutality in Philly last night is devastating to all Pennsylvanians & Americans,” he wrote on social media on Sunday. “My heart goes out to the families mourning the loss of their loved ones. While details are still unknown, it’s clear this never should have happened. This horror has no place in America.”

Will this time be different?

Here’s a piece looking at how Congress has failed for decades to pass gun reform.

And here’s another article on what could lie ahead as Washington again takes up weapons control.

There have been at least 246 mass shootings in the US this year, according to data from the gun violence archive.

Following the Uvalde shooting, there were 24 mass shootings alone, leaving at least 24 dead and 130 injured.

Kyrsten Sinema holds considerable power over whether Congress will pass any meaningful gun control measures following a string of mass shootings.

As Eric Garcia writes in a recent column:

Almost as soon as the shooting in Uvalde hit the news, Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s statement of sadness was met with a storm of people pointing out her support for the filibuster. (One of those voices was Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego, who spoke with The Independent last year about potentially running against her in 2024). But now, Sinema is part of a quartet – also featuring fellow Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Republicans Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas – who are trying to find a bipartisan agreement on gun safety. Considering America woke up to news of another shooting today — this time in Tulsa, at a hospital campus — it’s clear such efforts aren’t coming a moment too soon.

Get the full story.

High-powered weapons were used in the shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and now Philadelphia, police have confirmed.

Two guns were found at the scene of Saturday’s shooting, including one with an extended magazine.

Three people have been killed and 11 others injured in a mass shooting in Philadelphia late on Saturday after a gunman opened fire into a large crowd.

Police said that multiple gunshots were heard shortly before midnight in the busy downtown area of South Street with reports of “several gunmen” at the scene.

A police officer responded by firing one shot in the direction of a suspected shooter, Philadelphia Police Inspector DF Pace told NBC Philadelphia. One suspect dropped their firearm and fled the scene, authorities said.

Here’s what you need to know.