Why do I still live here?

Deadly gunshots ripped throughout the city yesterday, sending police detectives to neighborhoods too used to violence, and shocking others not accustomed to finding dead bodies on their streets.

In the end, five people lay dead of gunshot wounds in one of the four deadliest days in Philadelphia this year. All were young males, most African American. It is a familiar story for the city that has recorded 209 homicides this year and is on pace to meet the 380 killings of last year.

"Overwhelming" and "absolutely mind-boggling" are the words that Police Department spokesman Raul Malveiro used to describe the number of killings yesterday.