Khaliyl Gilbert was different. He had high standards not only for himself, but also for those around him, and he challenged people to do better.
He had friends in the neighborhood who had trouble finding work because they had records, so he did all he could to help.
“He’d go into different businesses and go to the owner and say, ‘My friend needs a job. He’s a good person and needs to take care of his family. Can you help him?’” said Rose Gilbert, Khaliyl’s great aunt. “He did that for so many people.”
Khaliyl was Jeanine Gilbert’s first child, born in Philadelphia on March 10, 1999. Khaliyl had a younger brother, Michael, and a younger sister, Myanna.
In Strawberry Mansion, where Khaliyl grew up, it’s common for young Black men to have negative interactions with police, Rose Gilbert explained. That wasn’t the case with Khaliyl. In fact, he was pursuing a career in law enforcement.
Khaliyl’s uncle, Ronald Gilbert, served in the Highway Patrol for more than 20 years, and Khaliyl was following his path. At Strawberry Mansion High School, Khaliyl was in the Philadelphia Police Explorer Cadet Program, and his goal was to serve his community by becoming a police officer.
After graduating from Strawberry Mansion in 2018, Khaliyl worked with a demolition crew and helped his mother Jeanine with her nonprofit, Love Life & Happiness, an outreach program providing support for at-risk young people in Philadelphia.
Khaliyl applied to become an officer with the Philadelphia Police Department in 2021. He was waiting to hear back about his application when he was fatally shot in the back in a robbery attempt in the 3700 block of Germantown Avenue on Oct. 9, 2021. He was 22 years old.
After his passing, Khaliyl received the email notifying him of his orientation date.
Khaliyl was concerned about the city’s gun violence epidemic, and he hated the fact that so many people were dying. No one expected him to become a victim.
“We don’t have answers. Khaliyl wasn’t in the streets. He went to work every day, he had a future. He was neat, clean and professional,” his aunt Rose said. “He assumed everyone was good. He gave people the benefit of the doubt. I constantly remind my niece about how she raised a wonderful man.”
In addition to going into law enforcement, he also wanted to launch an armed security business on the side with his brother Michael as well as a tow truck company.
“He dreamed big, and he would not let anyone interfere with that,” Jeanine said. “Everything he said he was going to do, Khaliyl did. He worked hard and was also around a lot of love.”
Khaliyl valued fun as much as he valued hard work, and he encouraged his family to try to enjoy life more. In his spare time, Khaliyl worked as a DJ under the name DJ Lil. He was hired for cookouts and block parties, and he loved spinning R&B.
He was no stranger to performing. When he was 14, Khaliyl, a few friends and his aunt Laura Lee, who is his age, started a show called TBH (To Be Honest) on PSMG Internet Radio.
“We talked about everything in the world from a teenager’s perspective. That was our angle,” Laura said. “While other people were out doing other things, we were doing that, and we worked hard at it.”
Khaliyl had close relationships with his family members, and he was part of a group chat consisting of 20 relatives who greeted each other every morning. He respected his family, he listened, and took advice.
His mother Jeanine said he was an Instagram influencer, in that he “influenced people into having good days. People go to his page to see something happy or funny and laugh. Everyone knew they could go to Khaliyl’s page and he’ll make you feel better.”
At Khaliyl’s service, his family heard from many people describing the ways in which he had touched their lives, giving confirmation that he was good to everyone.
His family is hoping someone with information comes forward to help solve his case.
“That’s Khaliyl Gilbert we’re talking about,” Jeanine said. “They don’t know what they took from all of us who loved and cared about him.”
A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Khaliyl’s murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.
