Philly’s kids are grieving alone from the far-reaching trauma of gun violence, advocates say

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia’s gun violence epidemic is creating a new generation of victims: Youth left to grief alone.

The toll of recent days showcases the issue. On Monday, a 14-year-old boy was charged with murder in the shooting of Tiffany Fletcher, a mother of three who was struck by a stray bullet on Friday afternoon while working at the Mill Creek Recreation Center. Also last weekend, 17-year-old Teryn Johnson was shot and killed while walking her dog in Frankford.

Youth advocates and city leaders discussed the impact gun violence at an online roundtable event hosted Tuesday by the Philadelphia chapter of the Transition Network Giving Circle, a philanthropic group of professional women, as part of an annual focus on the wellbeing of children.