It’s no secret that people all across the country are getting tired of these lockdown orders and are itching to get back to their normal lives. The weather is improving and many want to get out soak up the sunshine. Employers are anxious to reopen and bring their workers back to their jobs.

But those aren’t the only people itching for a return to normalcy. In Philadelphia, the criminal gangs have clearly had enough of this business as well and are heading back out to the streets to ply their trade. Shootings and murders are once again on the rise, with five people being shot and another stabbed just over Mother’s Day weekend. (CBS Philadelphia)

There are new signs of hope that Philadelphia is turning the corner, but the city is still struggling amid the pandemic. While health officials and city leaders continue to battle the coronavirus outbreak, another battle is taking place on the streets of Philadelphia as shootings rise.

Five people were shot and one stabbed during a violent Mother’s Day weekend…

Gun violence is continuing to plague Philadelphia even as the coronavirus continues to jeopardize lives. Nearly 495 people have been shot in the city so far this year.

So what is Philadelphia Mayor Jim “Empty the Jails” Kenney doing about this? He’s issuing strongly-worded statements, expressing his disappointment in the gang bangers and conveying his wishes that everyone would just call a truce and stop shooting each other. Here’s one statement that he released this week.

“I wish people would put aside their beefs, put aside their anger towards each other, keep our intensive care beds open and do something right for your family, your friends and your neighborhood by just putting the guns down and stopping.”

Kenney went on to say that he’s at his “wits end” with the gangs and he can’t understand why everyone can’t just pull together during a time of crisis like this.

That’s a lovely sentiment, Mr. Mayor, but you do realize that you’re talking about street gangs who have been in a constant state of warfare for decades, right? This isn’t the Kiwanis Club. They make their living slinging drugs and illegal weapons while fighting the competition for turf and market share. It’s sort of like Wall Street, except the hostile takeovers are accomplished using unregistered 9 mm handguns.

Of course, the situation probably isn’t being made any better by the fact that you and your new Police Chief Danielle Outlaw, along with your District Attorney Larry Krasner have been busy using the pandemic as an excuse to release increasing numbers of gang members back out onto the streets. And on top of that, the city is refusing to let the public know the names of the inmates who are being cut loose so they can at least be on alert for anyone looking for revenge.

Almost five hundred people have been shot in the city so far this year, and that includes several weeks where even the gangs seemed to be hunkering down and taking time off. Not for nothing, but the Mayor is going to need to do more than simply issue statements to the press about how disappointed he is in the gang bangers’ lack of team spirit.