'Superheroes' gathering to honor Philly's shot kids

Beat it, Batman. Wander off, Wonder Woman. Sashay away, Superman. None of you can hold a green lantern up to Philadelphia's superheroes.

Philly's heroes may be small, but they are mighty and brave. They didn't ask to be superhuman. Their burdens were thrust upon them by the gun violence that relentlessly ravages the city.

The superheroes — child shooting victims — will gather Aug. 11 at the Lenfest Center in Hunting Park with their loved ones and with families of children who lost their lives to gun violence to do what superheroes do best: Try to make a difference.

The event, called "Superheroes Against Gun Violence," is being held by the family of 7-year-old Mahaj "Haji" Brown to mark the one-year anniversary of the day his body was ravaged by 10 stray bullets from an AK-47 in East Germantown. Both children and adults attending the gathering are urged to dress in their best superhero costume or shirt.

"We need to let these children know they're not unique, and they can come together as they get older to help lift each other up," said Mahaj's grandmother Esther Davis. "We're just trying to send a powerful message and let these kids have a good day — one good day."

Mahaj was one of four children shot by stray bullets in five weeks last summer and one of 94 juveniles shot in Philadelphia in 2016. The shooters in all but one of those cases remain free, but their victims continue to face the mental and physical repercussions of being shot.

Mahaj — who was wounded while riding in a car — has undergone 21 surgeries. Police have not named a suspect in the case and there has been no arrest.

Judelly "JuJu" Sanchez was 12 when she was hit twice by stray bullets Aug. 30 as she walked to a corner store in Fairhill. She still has both bullets and two fragments in her body. Her alleged shooter fled a police barricade in January and was apprehended in April, but that's done little to calm her fears.

"She sees him in her dreams," said Judelly's mother, Elizabeth. "She feels like he's still going to come after her."

Milan Chase, who was 10 when she was hit in an arm by a stray bullet July 28 while walking across the street to her grandmother's house in North Philadelphia, still has nightmares a year later. The men she and her grandmother Susan Purnell identified as the shooters have not been arrested.

"We haven't heard nothing. It makes me feel like there's no hope," Purnell said. "I want to holler and scream."

That's another reason why Mahaj's mother and grandmother are holding the event, to give a voice to the victims and their families.

"We need to bring awareness to the city of Philadelphia, because it could have been your child," Davis said. "We want to let people know we still suffer after the media is gone."

Davis said there will be games, cotton candy and popcorn machines. A slideshow will display pictures of children affected by gun violence. She wants to do a balloon release in honor of children who have lost their lives to gun violence.

The public is invited to attend the event, which will be  from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Lenfest Center, 3890 N. 10th St. Those interested can contact Davis at 267-333-1087 or Mahaj's mother, LaPrea Brown, at 215-908-0768.