Philadelphia, PA, July 25, 2025 – Last night, during what should’ve been a safe and joyful graduation party, four people including two children, were shot on N. Lambert Street. It’s a devastating reminder that gun violence continues to threaten our most sacred spaces and our most vulnerable neighbors.
As a member of City Council’s Special Committee on Gun Violence, I am both heartbroken and deeply frustrated. This was not an isolated act, it’s part of a larger, ongoing crisis that continues to steal futures and destabilize communities. Gun violence is a public health emergency, and we cannot afford to treat it as anything less.
These are not just numbers. They are families. They are children. They are futures cut short or forever changed. And the trauma reaches far beyond the people hit by bullets; it echoes down entire blocks and across generations. We cannot allow this to become normal. We must stay outraged, and we must stay focused. That means strengthening prevention, investing in neighborhoods, and holding both individuals and broken systems accountable.
My office is committed to doing our part, showing up, listening closely, and doing the steady, long-term work that real safety requires. We also offer year-round resources—from victim service referrals to youth programming and emergency housing support—for those in need of assistance or seeking ways to get involved.
I’m grateful to every neighbor, advocate, and organization walking this path with us. Together, we move forward, determined to build a city where every child can grow up without fear.
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Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr., represents the city’s 5th Council District, which encompasses many North Philadelphia neighborhoods east of Broad Street, such as Hunting Park, Fairhill, Yorktown, Ludlow, Poplar, parts of South Kensington, Northern Liberties, and Fishtown. The district also expands to Lower North Philadelphia, west of Broad Street which includes Stanton, Cecil B. Moore, Strawberry Mansion, Brewerytown, Sharswood, Francisville, Fairmount, and the Center City neighborhoods of Spring Garden, Logan Square, and parts of Rittenhouse Square. For more information, visit Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr. | District 5 – Philadelphia City Council; and follow him on Facebook and Instagram @councilmemberjyoungjr; and X @cmjyoungjr.
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