Visitors share mixed feelings about returning to Philadelphia's Dilworth Park one day after triple shooting
Vendors and visitors returned to Dilworth Park's Christmas Village on Saturday, a day after gunfire disrupted the holiday market, leaving three teenagers injured and one in custody.
Barry Allen, a vendor for Makin It Designs by Vicki, described the chaotic moments when shots rang out Friday around 4:33 p.m.
"We heard the shots. As we looked to the ice skating rink, we saw people drop, we all dropped to the ground," Allen said. "It's a very surreal incident to happen. This is not an everyday occurrence, but things happen."
Increased police patrols were visible Saturday as the ice rink delayed its opening by two hours. Despite the incident, many visitors expressed their determination to continue enjoying the festivities.
"We already had plans to come back again today. It didn't sway us one bit," said Gage Smith, a New Jersey resident. "It's a big city. Lots of things happen. It can be scary sometimes, but we felt safe coming back."
Bucks County resident Terry McIntyre says he felt the same.
"We feel safe here. There's a lot of police; they do a good job," McIntyre said. "That was a random thing I think that happened."
However, not everyone felt at ease. Ruth Espinosa, visiting from Chile, said she and her 12-year-old daughter, Mathilde, became scared on Friday night after hearing helicopters and shouting outside their nearby hotel.
"We wanted to come yesterday to skate, and we just stayed in the hotel because we were afraid," Espinosa said. "Now, knowing that we almost went yesterday night, I don't feel quite safe."
Business owners, like Beth Geddio, who owns the shop State of Being, are stepping up to ensure a sense of security for their customers and staff.
"I feel like it puts a little bit of a burden on us, as business owners. My employee was here last night, trying to make her feel safe and okay," Geddio said. "That's kind of like a responsibility that I have right now to make sure that they all feel okay coming back."
Allen remained optimistic.
"It was a one-off," he said of the shooting. "It's a great event; it's a great atmosphere. It's Philadelphia, it's Christmas Village time. Come on down and enjoy the evening."