Two Convicted, Face Life in School Killing. Two North Philly gang members were convicted of first-degree murder for the February 2004 shooting of 10-year-old Faheem Thomas-Childs. They have been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Here is the Philadelphia Inquirer story:

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/14117999.htm

Here are the ever-ugly Philadelphia murder statistics reported in the article:

While official and public anger continue to simmer, Philadelphia's homicide rate has stayed high: 328 the year Faheem was killed, 380 last year, and 62 as of yesterday, according to police, a rate that, if it continues, would see 302 murders in the city by year's end.

And the article lists the names of other children and teenagers who have been homicide victims in the two years since Faheem's death:

2004

Lamont Adams, 16
Uri Alston, 17
Tyrone Blue Jr., 16
Milton Brown, 16
Nicholas Busa, 17
Tykeem Cherry, 16
Faheem Thomas-Childs, 10
Josiah Cruz, 6 months
Kyree Cohen, 17
Adam Daniel Hammer, 17
Marquis Harris, 13
Tyrique Lovett, 15
Anthony Oliver, 14
Jalil Speaks, 16
Malik Upchurch, 15
Ramone Valentine, 16

2005

Kenneth Baptiste, 17
Audrey Bell, age unknown
Kenneth Best, 17
Jevon Chestnut, 13
Isiah Cobb, 16
Wander DeJesus, 9
Malik Edmonds, 16
Nashir Hinton, 11
Rashan Howard, 17
Terrell Johnson, 17
Richard Johnson, 17
Michael Jones, 17
Jamal Joyner, 16
Shane Pomfret, 15
Lamont Pough, 17
Troy Sampson, 17
Kareem Sephes, 16
Daniel Starling, 16

2006

Tariq Blue, 14
Agustus Favors, 15
Darnell Winn, 15