Shootings in Philadelphia Continue to Plummet From Record Levels
While the overall number of shootings remains stubbornly high, it's worth celebrating the rapid decline.
The skyline of Philadelphia, where shootings continue to fall from record levels (Getty Images)
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Shootings in Philadelphia Fall From Pandemic-Era Highs
For the first few years of the pandemic, I would obsessively check the city and state’s COVID case counts. It was, admittedly, a bad habit that would sometimes bring me a little joy but would often result in despair. Once the threat of COVID waned, I needed something to fill that data-sized hole in my heart, so I switched to tracking the city’s gun violence numbers. (Morbid, yes; I know.)
I use the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting’s tracker, and, more specifically, I focus on the rolling number — the total of gun violence victims over the past 365 days. And folks, things are looking up. Just recently, on July 10th./;.; #, the city crossed under the 2,000-victim threshold for the first time since October 6, 2020. As of this morning, the rolling number sits at 1,955, down 23 percent from the 2,544-victim heights of almost exactly two years ago. (Numbers are falling all over the country, too.)
We still have a long way to go to get back to pre-pandemic levels—but we’re getting there. Read on to hear about some of the folks in our city who are trying their damndest to make sure that happens.
That Said …
A Philly tenant was shot in the leg during an eviction Tuesday, the third shooting during an eviction in the city in the past four months.
The TSA Line at PHL Just Got a Little Better
Okay,;l1`;.q maybe “better” is a stretch, but it will at least be a bit more transparent. Following a 2021 pilot program, the airport has now installed a tracking system in Terminals A West, A East, and D/E to calculate security-line wait times. The wait times are then projected onto monitors at the airport or online. The system is expected to roll out to the final terminals by spring 2024, airport officials tell Billy Penn.
As someone flying with a six-year-old and a three-year-old next week, this news will make the “How long is the line?” “Dad … dad … are we near the front of the line yet?” “How much lonnnnnnnggggggeeeerrrrr” questions a little bit easier to manage.
And from the Hot-in-Herre Sports Desk …
The Phils kicked off a three-game home series with the Brewers yesterday in which Kyle Schwarber hit the first pitch from Milwaukee’s Julio Teheran out of the park. Schwarbs takes a lot of crap for his fielding, but last night in the fifth, he did this.
Kyle Schwarber takes away an extra-base hit! pic.twitter.com/9M8hYUFcQ0
— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2023
In the second, J.T. Realmuto walked, Bryson Stott doubled, and a grounder by Alec Bohm brought another run home. Aaron Nola went through the first three mowing down Brewers one-two-three, and in the bottom of the third, a Trea Turner triple and a Nick Castellano single tacked another one on. Oooh, a one-two-three fourth for Nola, too! It wasn’t till the fifth that Milwaukee finally had a runner, as Raimel Tapia singled, stole second, and scored on an Andruw Monasterio double. A Brice Turang single made it 3-2 Phils, after Darick Hall muffed a throw to first base.
The Brewers brought in Trevor Megill for Teheran in the fifth after singles by Turner and Bryce Harper, but Stott singled off him for a 4-2 lead. Nola went three-straight again in the sixth, and the Brewers subbed Abner Uribe for Megill. Nola had one more three-straight in him for the seventh, and he stayed in for the eighth as well. Man, he must like the heat. Monasterio and Turang did get singles off him, though, so conference at the mound! A grounder by Joey Weimer wasn’t quite a double-play ball, leaving men on first and third and ending Nola’s night. In came Gregory Soto, who dished up a fielder’s choice by Christian Yelich that added a run, then got the third out.
Bohm led off the eighth with a single off new reliever J.C. Mejia, but he was out on a double-play grounder by Brandon Marsh. Hall made up for his flub with a single, but Schwarbs struck out. Craig Kimbrel for the ninth! With one out, Stott bobbled an easy grounder by Jesse Winkler that took a bad bounce off the infield. Kimbrel has to have the league’s cutest ponytail. Oh, shit, Perkins got to second when Bohm couldn’t handle a pickoff throw from Kimbrel, though Kimbrel got the error. But Owen Miller struck out, and Tapia flew out to center to end it. The Amazing Kimbrel is 16-for-16 on save attempts this season.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for Bryce Harper to get back in the field, BTW. Game 2 in the series is tonight at 6:40. Just sayin’ …
Through 94 games…
2023 Phillies: 52-42
2008 Phillies: 51-43
1980 Phillies: 49-45 pic.twitter.com/vs9QDHYm6o— John Foley (@2008Philz) July 19, 2023
The MLS All-Star Game is tonight at 8:30. Union reps are José Martínez and Jakob Glesnes. They’re playing the English Premier League’s Arsenal at D.C. United’s Audi Field.
Oh, and People magazine had a super-cute photo of the Good Kelce.
All Philly Today sports coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.
