Germantown community calls for peace amid violent summer of gun violence
PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia community gathered to denounce gun violence less than 24-hours after a young boy was caught up in the crossfire of a street shooting.
Authorities say a 7-year-old child was struck in the hand when a shootout erupted on the 200 block of Armstrong Street around 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The victim was rushed to Albert Einstein Medical Center where she was placed in stable condition, police said.
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Community members and leaders walked through the streets of East Germantown Thursday night, stopping at many places that experienced gun violence.
Philadelphia police and chaplains joined hands to pray for peace during the walk through the neighborhood.
Taleah Grimmage, a Senior Policy Analyst with the Citizens Police Oversight Commission, believes a healthy and trusting relationship with police and the community is vital.
"There’s always sort of a tense relationship between communities of color and police and it’s going to take a lot of work to change that some think it can change," Grimmage said. "When you have events like this, it shows that there are so many people that are interested in improving that relationship."