City leaders, advocates gather to support Roscoe's after PnB Rock murder

A shrine of flowers and candles still sits in the parking lot of Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles on Machester Avenue and Main Street where rapper PnB Rock was gunned down. 

While the pain of his loss is still fresh, the focus at Roscoe's Thursday was about reassuring the community the iconic restaurant, known for its beloved soul food, remains a safe gathering place for families. 

"We are disgusted by it and we wanted to demonstrate that we're not gonna stand for it," said Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson. "We want to say we're gonna show up to Roscoe's. Roscoe's is our neighborhood restaurant it's our community institution."

Dawson, other city leaders and community advocates stopped in to pray for the victim's family and everyone affected by the Philadelphia rapper's murder, as well as stand in solidarity with the restaurant and its workers. 

"Wanted to show them support that we're still here," said Ben "Taco" Owens, who works with the Southern California Cease Fire Committee. "We want to find ways and strategies to stop violence from happening in the community."

The popular restaurant has been a staple in the neighborhood for more than 30 years. Customers said they won't let PnB Rock's senseless murder tarnish the restaurant's reputation as a place for family gatherings and countless memories.

"What we want this to be is a cry to action," said Live Free California Director Tim Kornegay. "Although this is a tragedy, it's an opportunity to lift this up as this should not ever happen again."

The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Allen, was gunned down Monday after someone tried to steal his jewelry. 

A restaurant spokesman said it meant a lot to the staff to see city leaders and community activists support the business and the workers who are traumatized by what they saw. 

"For the most part, the staff got up this morning — and yesterday — and they came to work," said spokesman Joseph Collins. "We opened up and we got back to work. It's business as usual and that's something to see when you have such awesome staff as we have."

Customers hope the discussion now shifts to permanent solutions to end this type of violence. 

"We have to prioritize our own safety and we have to love each other past the point where we want to hurt each other," said Kornegay.

So far, police have not arrested anyone in this cae.