Gun Violence 258
Antoine Coleman, Jr., 17, Aspiring Mechanic Who Treasured Connecting With Family
Through the power of Facebook, Antoine Coleman, Jr. finally met his father at age 15 after spending years searching for him. Antoine was ecstatic as the pair ate dinner at a TGI Fridays in the mall and compared notes on fashion and music. They shared the same facial features and “big ears,” Altaron Robinson remembered. […]
Mario Pedro, 34, family man who enjoyed reading the Daily News
Mario Pedro picked up a copy of the Philadelphia Daily News every single day. He devoured the newspaper front-to-back, learning about everything happening in the city. “Every day he made sure he went to the store and got him a Daily News,” Cheryl Pedro, Mario’s mother, remembered. “He just loved to read the whole paper.” […]
Isaiah Jewett, 22: ‘He was the ultimate gentleman’
Isaiah Jewett and Alexandra Guzman met as teenagers at a placement facility in Montgomery County. Isaiah set himself apart from the other boys who tried to catch her attention—he was quiet and respectful. “One day, he asked if I wanted to play Uno, and the rest is history,” Alexandra said. They spent as much time […]
Nicholas Delgado, 29, devoted dad who loved photography, music—and Sonic the Hedgehog
It was almost like Nicholas Delgado invented the dance battle. He always had a portable speaker on him, and he’d go up to a group of people, put on music and start moving. After a few seconds—and maybe a funny look or two—his energy became contagious. “He’d be like, ‘Guys, join in!’ And the […]
Darryl Darnell Amir Albany Jr., 34, nursing assistant, teddy bear and ‘all-around good person’
Like so many people, Darryl Albany just wanted to live life and have a good time. But as a big man with a big appetite, Darryl was a larger than average presence in the room, a handsome teddy bear with a heart of gold. “He was an intelligent, God-fearing, all-around good person,” said his sister, […]
Kyle Manley, 34: ‘No, not Kyle! Why would that happen to him?’
Losing a loved one to gun violence is never easy, but people were particularly surprised when Kyle Manley was shot. “People were saying, ‘No, not Kyle! Why would that happen to him?’” said his only brother, Todd Manley, a patrol officer at the University of Pennsylvania. “He wasn’t into that type of lifestyle.” The fact […]
Karon “KP” Payne, 21, Presbyterian Hospital worker with dreams of going to medical school
Karon Payne went by the nickname “KP.” Based on the life he lived, KP could have meant “’Keep Pushing.” No matter how cliché it sounds, this young man was on his way to a promising future. Karon was a person of strong character who did not get caught up in street life, said his mother, […]
Gregory Dennis-Felder, 33, security guard and amazing father who beat the odds
Gregory M. Dennis had a lot of qualities that made him stand out, but most of all it was how he cared for his family. “I had a heart attack in the kitchen one day,” his mother, Mary Felder recalled. “Greg came in and all I said was, ‘I couldn’t breathe.’ He picked me up, […]
Jackson Silva Perez, 23, landscaper and devoted father of two boys known for his wacky dance moves
Jackson Silva loved making people laugh, whether with him when he made a joke or even at him when he was tearing it up on the dance floor with his wacky moves. At family gatherings, he always knew how to start the party. “He was the one hyping the party dancing with everybody even though […]
Ammron Hargrove, 29, was Mr. Elmo to his preschoolers and loved his sister’s salmon broccoli cheesesteak
Sometimes they called him Mr. Elmo, other times Mr. A. But it was because they were preschool kids, and even though they had trouble saying their teacher’s name, they loved him. Ammron Hargrove started teaching preschool around 2012, said his sister, Porscheca Wright. She was surprised he went into it, but she wasn’t surprised that […]
Jy’heim Price, 20, life of the party and entrepreneur who honored his slain older brother in the car business
Jy’heim Price was the third youngest out of eight children. “Jy’heim was a good well-mannered young man who would come to your rescue no matter what. Jy’heim was the sweetest, funniest, caring person you would ever know. He was the peace maker of any situation and just loved family. He would stay busy so that […]
Andre Lyles Sr., 37, family man who had just bought a house, with plans to start a youth group home
With children ranging in age from 2 to 21, Andre Lyles’ house was sometimes chaotic and often loud—but it was always filled with laughter. Though the family wasn’t new, the house was. Andre and his wife, LaRoi Lyles, embarked on a promising chapter of life when they bought the house in summer 2023 in West […]
James Bolden, 49, ‘superb’ barber who survived near-fatal car crash
James Bolden was a gifted artist — not only on canvas, but on hair too. “He was a superb barber,” said Ernest Rouse, an old friend since grade school. “And when I mean superb, he could have won hair contest.” James and his family lived for a time with Ernest in the 1980s, and Ernest […]
Frederick Duggans, 20, dog lover who was saving to go to California to record music
Frederick Duggans’ star was rising, and he was saving money to move to California to reach new heights. Performing under the stage name “Rollin Fredo,” his rap career was getting underway when he moved to Philadelphia in 2022. He had just released his single “Call My Name” and landed a spot at the DMV Fest. […]
John Culberson, strong father figure to his step-children who could dance like James Brown
No matter how long it’s been since a person has been murdered, the pain still rings true years, even decades, later. That’s the case for John Culberson’s family, who was killed in Philadelphia in 1990. He was Yolanda Bell’s step-father, and she contacted the Philly Obit Project because even though she lost him 34 years […]
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