Tuesday 5 July 2022 05:48 PM Philadelphia mayor calls America 'Dodge City' following shooting of two officers trends now
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney revealed early Tuesday morning he looks forward to the day he is no longer in charge of the City of Brotherly Love amid rising gun violence - as he called out the country's lax gun laws.
In an early morning news conference following the shooting of two on-duty police officers who were patrolling a Fourth of July fireworks display, Kenney ranted about the availability of guns in the United States.
'It was a laid back, chill day,' he said of the Welcome America Party on the Parkway. 'Weather was beautiful, concert was beautiful.
'But we live in America, and we have the Second Amendment. And we have the Supreme Court of the United States telling everybody they can carry a gun whenever they want.
'It's like Dodge City.'
The mayor, a Democrat, was then asked about whether he fears the city's gun problem could affect other upcoming events, like the 2026 World Cup.
'There's not an event, or a day, where I don't lay on my back and look at the ceiling and worry about stuff,' Kenney revealed. 'So everything we have in the city over the last seven years, I worry about.
'I don't enjoy Fourth of July. I don't enjoy the Democratic National Convention. I didn't enjoy the NFL Draft. I'm waiting for something bad to happen all the time.
'I'll be happy when I'm not here, when I'm not mayor, and I can enjoy some stuff,' he said, prompting one reporter to confirm: 'You're looking forward to not being mayor?'
'Yeah, as a matter of fact,' said Kenney, who is term limited and cannot run for re-election. He will remain in office until January 2024. Gun violence across the city has soared 6 percent over last year.
In a news conference early Tuesday morning, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney revealed he will be relieved when he is no longer mayor and will no longer have to worry about the possibility of a shooting at major events
Still, Kenney insisted in the news conference that if he could address the city's growing gun problem, he would.
'We have to come to grips with what this country is about right now,' Kenney said. 'We had a beautiful day out there today, except for some nitwit either shooting from a window or shooting from somewhere who has a gun who probably shouldn't have had it.'
But, he said, he is prohibited from creating or passing any gun control legislation under the Pennsylvania state constitution.
It states: 'No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth.'
'This is a gun country. It's crazy,' Kenney said. 'We are the most armed country in world history and we are one of the least safe.
'So until Americans decide that they want to give up the guns and give up the opportunity to get guns, we are going to have this problem.'
Kenney added that he doubts there will be gun control in his lifetime, citing 'a lot of goofballs out there with guns, and they can get them anytime they want, so this is what we have to live with.'
Authorities directed spectators at a Fourth of July fireworks show in Philadelphia after an unknown gunman opened fire and injured two officers
The shooting Monday night sent frantic families fleeing in all directions just hours after six people were killed in a shooting in a Chicago suburb
Families left their chairs and items in the street as they fled the festival Monday night
Many questions remain following the shooting of two on-duty police officers patrolling the fireworks show on Monday night.
'We don't know if this was ricochet from celebratory gunfire, we don't know if this was intentional, we don't know if this was someone taking a shot intentionally at these officers from long-range,' Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at the news conference.
'We're all just extremely grateful that this wasn't worse than what it was.'
'There's a lot going on in the country. There's a lot going on
