The city of Philadelphia grapples with gun violence once more, as Latif Williams, now 20, was sentenced in the 2021 shooting death of Temple University student Sam Collington. A court has seen fit to imprison Williams for a term spanning 25 to 50 years, with an ensuing 5 years of probation. Williams, who was 17 years old during the incident, turned himself in after being linked to the crime by surveillance footage. According to a report by FOX 29, he was found guilty of third-degree murder and weapons charges earlier this February.
The tragedy unfolded in November 2021, when Collington, a political science senior at Temple University, was shot in the chest outside his North Philadelphia apartment. Molly Collington, the victim's mother, recounted that her son had just returned to the city from their Delaware County home with clean laundry after Thanksgiving weekend. A statement issued by Temple University conveyed a message of hope for healing and a call to vigilance against the national crisis of gun violence, further stressing the need to work continuously with our community partners on identifying solutions to this crisis. The statement was captured by NBC Philadelphia.
The loss of Sam Collington is felt deeply across multiple spheres of the Philadelphia community. Collington had been a fellow in the office of the City Commissioner, where Commissioner Omar Sabir regarded him as a deeply engaged and talented team member. “During his brief time with our office, Samuel exemplified an incredible passion for engaging voters and was an indispensable member of our team. Sam’s death is a tremendous loss for the City Commissioners and all who knew him,” Sabir recounted.
