Shootings often rise in Philly when school’s out. Violence prevention groups have plans to change that.

“Ian Dugan remembers James Easterling as “loud” with “a lot of smiles”. The young man used to be a regular in the Salvation Army Kroc Center computer lab where Dugan is an instructor. “He liked to talk a lot,” Dugan said, pausing for just a moment while planting a flag bearing Easterling’s name on the center’s lawn. Easterling was fatally shot in Germantown in September 2016 at age 22. His flag is one of roughly 700 the center has planted for gun violence victims since 2025. “All of us who have been affected by people who’ve died over the years believe the more love we spread, the less flags there will be.” Dugan was one of several dozen attendees at the center’s “Spread Love Not Bullets” event Monday that focused on preventing youth gun violence during the summer months. Shootings tend to rise in Philadelphia when the weather warms up. And even though gun violence has fallen recently in the city, children make up a growing share of shooting victims . In response, gun violence prevention organizations are mounting programs to provide safe environments for Philadelphia’s young people in the summer. “They’re going to have more freedom, they’re going to be exposed to violence more, because they’re not in school for half the day,” said Capt. Dana Bradley of the 39th Police District, who spoke on a panel at the Monday event. “It’s very important for our entire community to provide structured activities.” This summer, 30 public schools will be part of the School District of Philadelphia’s “extended day, extended year” program , which includes a six-week summer camp. That’s up from 20 public schools last year. “It gives our students an opportunity to be actively engaged and supervised by adults, and it keeps them out of the streets,” said Craig Johnson, the district’s deputy chief of school safety. Philadelphia shootings are down about 40% since this time last year. Still, community leaders say young people are at high risk because of social media pressure to escalate violence, combined with the feeling that adults don’t care about or believe in them. “It’s very important that we understand that kids want to do good,” said John Solomon, the 34-year-old founder of Endangered Kind, a violence prevention effort. He said the “old school” mentality of approaching teens with a heavy hand doesn’t work with this generation. “We have to come with a lot of respect,” he said. “If we don’t, then the trust is not built, and the connection is lost, and it makes it that much more difficult for us to begin to deter them or have conversations with them.” Kyeme Hunter, 19, listened in on the panel and afterwards agreed that more summer activities could help teens avoid violence — but only if they feel safe attending in the first place. “You got kids that want to do programs, but they’re in fear of the people they’re beefing with going to the same program,” Hunter said. If adults know about young peoples’ needs, they can design spaces that incentivize them, Hunter said. For example, he said that for young people who are making rap music, programs can provide equipment to help them explore that. Being responsive in that way means “they’ll probably come here more often to relax themselves, just to get some space,” he said. Michael “OG Law” Ta’Bon will be touring his “mobile community crisis event unit.” It’s a large truck equipped with a roof deck, a stage, a basketball hoop, a grill, and a movie projector. But the unit doesn’t just feature fun activities: Inside the trailer is a replica prison cell that Ta’Bon uses as an educational tool. The truck has a sign that says: “Summer Onto September.” “The key is making sure that as many young people make it from summer vacation to back-to-school in September safe, sound, alive and free,” Ta’Bon said. Sammy Caiola is Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s gun violence reporter, and this summer she’s focusing on education for justice-involved youth. If you have experience or ideas on that subtopic, reach her at scaiola@chalkbeat.org .

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