Gun shop in North Philly targeted in next anti-gun violence campaign

Montgomery County, Pa. (WPHL) — Dozens of t-shirts of all different colors are staked on the hill in front of a small church in Ambler, Pa. outside of Philadelphia. Each shirt dons the name of an individual, their age and the date they died by gun violence.

In an effort to eradicate shooting deaths in Montgomery County, the Ambler Church of Brethren teamed up with Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence to raise awareness and promote the Ending Gun Violence rally on April 26, followed by a concert on April 27.

“We want to organize and energize a safe community around gun violence to extract change,” said Bryan Miller, the executive director of Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence, a faith-based activism organization. “Congregations of all faiths are going to walk through town with signs singing and praying.”

According to Everytown, a gun safety non-profit that tracks gun-related incidents nationwide, the rate of gun deaths has increased 29% from 2014 to 2023 in Pennsylvania, compared to a 34% increase nationwide. In Pennsylvania, the rate of gun suicide increased 19% and gun homicide increased 46% from 2014 to 2023, compared to a 21% increase and 57% increase nationwide, respectively.

The Ambler Ending Gun Violence Day will culminate with a procession of signs and music leading activists and supporters to the Montco Memorial to the Lost, where victims of gun violence in Montgomery County will be honored. The event will also feature the victims’ families and survivors of gun violence in an outdoor remembrance ceremony.

The t-shirts scattered across the church lawn are meant to capture the attention of drivers passing by. Some stories are known, like Latiya Clea, who was 41 years old when her husband shot and killed her in their home, and like Keishla Arroyo, who was shot and killed on January 10, 2022, in her apartment by her ex-boyfriend while their three children were inside the home. Some of the t-shirts are blank.

“These shirts represent the victims of gun violence whose stories we’re working to get, but we still want them to be remembered,” Miller said.

However, Miller said raising awareness on ending gun violence is only part of their mission. The organization’s policy goal is to block the movement of illegal handguns throughout the city.

In 2009, anti-gun violence activists, including Miller, were successful in shutting down, Colosimo’s Gun Center, a long-standing gun shop that operated on Spring Garden Road. After a 9-month campaign and a federal investigation, agents found illegal practices within the shop.

Following Ending Gun Violence Day, in the a couple of months, anti-gun violence activists will launch a campaign targeted at a gun shop in North Philadelphia. Miller expects hundreds of protesters to rally in front of the shop. Miller hopes attention from the public, along with a letter-writing campaign to local and state lawmakers will force the gun shop to close.

The Ambler Church of Brethren is inviting the public to its Ending Gun Violence Day on April 27. More information can be found on its Facebook page.