City leaders, lawyers rally to support Roscoe’s murder after PnB Rock | Popgen Tech

A shrine of flowers and candles still stands in the parking lot of Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles at Machester Avenue and Main Street where rapper PnB Rock was shot.

While the pain of his loss is still fresh, Roscoe’s focus Thursday was on assuring the community that 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 show that we will not stand for it,” said Council Member Marqueece Harris-Dawson. “We want to say we’re going to showcase Roscoe’s. Roscoe’s is our neighborhood restaurant it’s our community institution.”

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

“I wanted to show them support that we’re still here,” said Ben “Taco” Owens, who works with the Southern California Fire Stop Committee. “We have to find ways and strategies to stop violence from happening in the community.”

The popular restaurant has been a staple in the neighborhood for over 30 years. Customers said they will not let the senseless killing of PnB Rock tarnish the restaurant’s reputation as a place for family gatherings and countless memories.

“What we want this to be is a call to action,” said Live Free California Director Tim Kornegay. “Although this is a tragedy, it is an opportunity to remove it as this should never happen again.”

The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Allen, was shot on Monday after someone tried to steal his jewellery.

A restaurant spokesperson 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, staff got up this morning – and yesterday – and came to work,” said spokesman Joseph Collins. “We opened up and got back to work. It’s business as usual and that’s something you have to see when you have an awesome staff like we have.”

The clients hope that the discussion will now change 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, the police have not arrested anyone in this cae.