Philadelphia City Council hosts public hearings on gun violence

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia City Council members hosted public hearings on gun violence that has plagued the city in recent weeks.

Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, chairman of the Special Committee on gun violence conducted the hearings Tuesday.

Monday night, Johnson hosted a 'Peace Not Guns' rally at Philadelphia City Hall after at least 20m people were shot in Philadelphia over the weekend.

Among those shot over the weekend were two 11-year-old boys, a 17-year-old boy, and a pregnant woman.

Those shootings followed the deadly shooting of seven-year-old Zamar Jones, who was killed while playing out front of his home in West Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw and District Attorney Larry Krasner also spoke during the hearings.

The DA complained prosecutors were seeking high bails for gun suspects but being denied by the city’s bail commissioners.

“Bails are too low, often too low on cases involving shootings and felony possession of a firearm,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said.

“On the street, the word is you get locked up with a gun nine times out of 10 you’re gong to make bail and get out,” councilman Kenyatta Johnson said.

Council members spoke of hired killers willing to take a life for as little as 500 bucks, while the Police Commissioner argued gun violence has been rising over several years, a crisis not helped by recent budget cuts.

"We are but one small piece of this. We don’t control the culture of violence that we see," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.

Police say more cameras on city streets recording violent acts will lead to arrests and urged the residents to tell investigators what they know when shots are fired.

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