As temperatures rise in Philadelphia, District Attorney Larry Krasner warned residents not to respond to violence with retaliation. Speaking Tuesday outside the Office of the District Attorney, Krasner urged Philadelphians to leave justice to police and the courts while investigators review several recent incidents across the city.
“Philly is getting beautiful out here and we outside,” Krasner said at the start of his remarks. “Almost everybody in Philly knows what that means, but for some of my friends from, I don’t know, Chestnut Hill, Rittenhouse Square, a couple of you who might not know what that means, let me just say that means we are out in the community, we are connected, we are enjoying the day and we’re doing positive things in a positive way.”
He then turned to recent incidents that raised concern.
“That’s the good news,” Krasner said. “Here’s the other side. We have had a few incidents recently that are troubling even though we do see crime down for five straight years. We’ve had a couple of incidents that are troubling.”
Krasner warned that retaliatory violence would lead to arrests and prison sentences.
“We’re not going to have retaliation on the street. We’re not going to have violence on the street. We’re not going to have people out there to do things to their neighbors. We’re not going to have it,” he said. “And if we have it, then you’re going to have to go inside because that is my job.”
His comments came as Philadelphia law enforcement officials continued reviewing several recent violent incidents.
One case involves a shooting last week in which an 11-year-old boy allegedly shot and killed his mother’s 30-year-old boyfriend during what authorities described as a domestic dispute. The investigation is being handled by the District Attorney’s youth justice division, where Assistant District Attorney Anthony Voci described the incident as a tragedy affecting several aspects of the people involved.
Investigators continue processing evidence in the case. Detectives must download, analyze, and review digital evidence while comparing those findings with witness accounts and physical evidence collected during the investigation.
Another incident occurred on Monday in Kensington, where two men carried out a home invasion that moved from inside the residence onto the street. During the confrontation, a 60-year-old woman suffered serious injuries, and one of the attackers was shot and killed.
Authorities also addressed a multi-vehicle crash in Germantown that resulted in two young men dying and another person being critically injured. Police recovered a semiautomatic weapon from the vehicle involved in the crash.
While discussing these investigations, prosecutors presented citywide crime statistics showing continued declines in violent offenses.
As of this point in 2026, Philadelphia has recorded 18 homicides, compared with 37 homicides recorded at the same time last year. Data from the Philadelphia Police Department shows total violent crime down 13 percent. Gun robberies and armed assaults have fallen by more than a quarter during the first nine weeks of the year, while property crimes, including burglaries and residential theft, have decreased 15 percent.
Krasner said that although the numbers show improvement, each victim still matters. He said no administration is likely to end crime entirely during a lifetime and added that the downward trend may be influenced in part by colder weather earlier in the year. He also said the current decline in crime is unusual compared with other periods in his career.
During the press conference, Krasner repeatedly told residents not to respond to incidents of violence through retaliation. He said anyone attempting to settle disputes on their own will face arrest and prosecution and urged residents to leave those cases to police investigators and the courts.
Authorities also described the investigative process in ongoing cases, explaining that law enforcement agencies continue reviewing evidence to determine outcomes based on verified facts.
During the briefing, Krasner displayed the phrase “We outside, too.” The message referred to the presence of investigators, police officers, the FBI, and neighborhood residents who are monitoring activity and working to identify retaliatory violence.
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Officials also discussed the growing role of digital evidence in violent crime investigations. Prosecutors said information downloaded from mobile phones is frequently used to connect suspects to multiple incidents.
Assistant District Attorney William Fritze, who leads the District Attorney’s Gun Violence Task Force and digital forensics lab, explained that investigators regularly analyze phone data and digital activity during investigations. That evidence has helped prosecutors obtain grand jury indictments and secure prison sentences ranging from 40 to 80 years for repeat violent offenders.
Fritze said digital records often reveal connections between suspects and multiple crimes, and those digital footprints cannot be permanently erased. Investigators use that evidence to hold offenders accountable for every incident connected to their activity.
