There is an axiom in Philadelphia (and most other cities) – as the weather heats up, so does the gun violence. Two people were shot to death last night in the city, including an 18-year-old near 54th and Chestnut. Six others were injured. An important meeting tonight at The Calvary Center (48th and Baltimore) is part of a grassroots effort to help curb gun violence in the city.

The meeting includes representatives from CeaseFire, an organization whose aim is to unite neighborhood and community groups to address gun violence, and Heeding God’s Call, a faith-based group that stands up to witness gun violence and pressures local gun stores to implement practices that will deter “straw purchases” of guns.

Tonight’s meeting runs from 6:30-8 p.m. This is the second gathering on “Addressing Gun Violence” organized by Kol Tzedek Synagogue, West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, and Calvary United Methodist Church. All three congregations are part of POWER, Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild, an organization dedicated to opportunity and justice for Philadelphians. If you have questions, e-mail rabbi – at – kol-tzedek.org.

The shooting victim near 54th and Chestnut was riding his bike when the shooting occurred, according to reports. Police are unsure what caused the shooting and so far have no suspects. In another shooting last night, a man was shot twice in the face near 34th and Mount Vernon in the Mantua neighborhood. Police say that he is paralyzed from the neck down.

– Mike Lyons

Police are still trying to identify a body found in a burning car in the Kingsessing neighborhood on early Saturday morning, according to reports. The cause of the fire is also being investigated. The body was found around 4:30 a.m. in a burning 2013 Toyota on the 5300 block of Glenmore Avenue in front of houses. This is a relatively secluded block, according to residents who live there and who witnessed the fire.

Neighbors reported waking up to loud popping sounds, followed by an acrid burning smell and then witnessing a dozen police cars, fire crews and an ambulance at the scene.

Police are investigating another shooting outside of a residence in the Cedar Park neighborhood last night, on the same block where a man was shot and wounded last Friday. Police say shots were fired Thursday night around 6:30 p.m., on the 4900 block of Catharine Street.

Officers from the 18th District responded to a call of “a person with a gun” and found eight shell casings. Police say no victims were present. The investigation continues.

A man who was reportedly released on parole was shot in both legs at around 6:30 p.m. last night on the 4900 block of Catharine Street, about 20 feet from the Cedar Park playground.

Police showed up soon after shooting was reported, but couldn’t find any victims. Later they found the 32-year-old man at Temple University hospital where he had been dropped off, according to GunCrisis.org. The victim is listed in stable condition. A house near where the man was shot has been associated with criminal activity, according to a neighbor. Apparently, it was a shootout between two people.

GunCrisis.org reports that the shooting was one of at least a half-dozen across the city last night.

Some residents near the corner of St. Bernard and Springfield are reporting that they heard between four and six gunshots and screaming just before 3 a.m. this morning outside of the African Cultural Center, which has been criticized in the past for late-night parties. They witnessed a lot of people running away from the center’s entrance, towards their cars to leave. Several police cars later arrived. At this point it’s not known if any arrests were made or if anyone was injured.

Several residents worked last year to bring attention to late-night events at the cultural center, which in recent years has been rented out by the owners for cover-charge events that typically run into the early morning hours. The problem is that the center, which also occasionally hosts wedding receptions and other events, is in a residential area.

– Mike Lyons

A late-night robbery spree this week led to two arrests, according to police. Three robberies – at 46th and Chester, 45th and Larchwood, and 42nd and Osage – happened within 15-20 minutes from one another, beginning around 11:55 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12 and going into early Wednesday. The Osage and Larchwood Avenue robberies were at a gunpoint, said Joseph Murray of the Southwest Detectives (@PPDJoeMurray).

That same night, the 18th district police arrested two suspects they believe were involved in these incidents. One of the arrested men is suspected in the Chester and Osage Avenue robberies.

54-year-old Anthony Dent was arrested in connection with two recent burglaries, including the burglary at City Tap House, according to police. Both burglaries were captured by surveillance cameras. On January 18, at 7:30 a.m., Dent apparently entered the City Tap House building located at 3925 Walnut Street, took a laptop computer from an office, then stole assorted meats from the freezer and fled through the back emergency exit door.

On January 26 around 5:30 a.m. Dent entered a building located on the 3800 block of Chestnut Street by prying the side door open with a large screwdriver, took some items, including assorted power tools, and placed them in a parked vehicle. He then returned to the building several times for more items, according to police. The suspect was captured on surveillance video on 39th Street where he placed the tools into a parked silver Volvo XC90 and fled.

Dent was arrested on the 1600 block of 62nd Street and charged with burglary, theft and other related offenses.

(Source: Philly Police Blog).