If only the gun-grabbing legislator's illegitimate son, former sex partner, and his former sex partner's daughter had had guns to protect themselves..

Phillyburbs.com: Lawmaker's son abducted; son's mother, sister shot

PHILADELPHIA - The adult son of a state lawmaker was abducted from a Philadelphia street at gunpoint, and his mother and sister were shot by intruders a day later, officials said.

Shamari Taylor, 26, the son of Rep. John Myers, was missing for a third day Tuesday, police said.

Myers, a Philadelphia Democrat who has been a vocal advocate for gun-control legislation, and his wife spent a long night waiting for information from police, his spokeswoman, Thera Martin, said Tuesday.

"He's trying to be strong and stay calm, but he's waiting," Martin said.
"One thing as he put it to me this morning, the longer it takes to hear anything in a situation like this, the chances are that it may not be good news."

Taylor's 56-year-old mother was hospitalized in critical but stable condition after being shot in the head. The sister, 21, had been treated and released Sunday evening.

Police consider the crimes connected, based on descriptions of the assailants provided by the sister and by a female companion who said she was abducted Saturday night along with Taylor.

The companion said a group of seven to 10 men shoved them into a van at about 11 p.m., an hour after Taylor had left home, according to Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker.

The woman said she was released at about 5 a.m. Sunday. She did not contact police until about 5 p.m., Walker said.

Two hours later, two intruders - who may have had a key - entered the West Philadelphia home of Taylor's family, Walker said. They shot the women and then rummaged through Taylor's bedroom, leaving with an undetermined amount of cash.

The motive remained unclear.

"There are a couple of different theories," said Walker, a detective.

Police were not releasing the names of Taylor's mother and sister. The sister was shot in the shoulder.

Taylor's companion told police they were duct-taped and taken to an unknown location, possibly a warehouse. She and Taylor were separated, she said.

"She can hear him yelling, but she doesn't know what's going on," Walker said.

Taylor, who according to police was unemployed, is described as a black male weighing about 250 pounds.

Myers last spoke with his son a few weeks ago, Martin said. Nothing seemed amiss, she said.

Taylor is Myers' son from a previous relationship. Myers has been married to his wife Joyce for more than 20 years, his spokeswoman said.

"We ask for anyone with knowledge of what happened to his son Shamari to come forward," Myers' office said in a statement.

Myers has pursued state laws that would limit people to one gun purchase per month and let Philadelphia pass local gun laws that are stricter than the state's. His interest in gun control stemmed from the widespread violence afflicting the city, not from any prior personal experiences, said Philadelphia Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller, a close friend.

"We're all concerned about the level of violence going on here in Philadelphia," she said.

Meanwhile, Myers' Republican opponent in the November election, Joseph L. Messa, is suspending his campaign indefinitely out of respect for the Myers family.

Instant translation: Meyers' district is overwhelmingly Democrass, so why bother?

"Everyone, regardless if they are Democrat or Republican, white or black, young or old, everyone has John Myers and his loved ones in their prayers tonight," said Peter J. Wirs, the 59th Republican Ward Executive Committee chairman who announced the decision.

...Of course, not delivering packages filled with cocaine should be part of every human's safety program...

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Drug link alleged in abduction

The state legislator's son who was kidnapped Saturday night allegedly had been making a delivery - possibly of cocaine - with his girlfriend when the two were surrounded by gunmen and forced into a van, police said yesterday.

Shamari Taylor, the 26-year-old son of State Rep. John D. Myers (D., Phila.), has not been seen since his abduction from Overbrook Park, and police said yesterday they had little information regarding his whereabouts. The kidnapping has been linked to the shooting of Taylor's mother and sister in a home-invasion robbery Sunday night.

Due to time constraints, we now move to further action.

"He was targeted for a reason," Riehl said, adding that part of the motive appeared to be robbery.

Authorities said the gunmen reportedly took the package they said Taylor planned to deliver, and police believe it was cocaine.

Investigators said the nature of the crimes, how they were carried out, and other factors led them to believe the package that Taylor - who has no criminal history as an adult - was carrying contained drugs. They would not elaborate.

Police said the assailants apparently were looking for more, so they went to Taylor's home in the 5400 block of Wyalusing Avenue in West Philadelphia, where he lived with his mother, 56, and sister, 22.

The gunmen entered the townhouse through a side door, demanded money, forced the women onto a bed, and shot them. Taylor's sister, who was shot twice, was treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and released.

His mother, who was shot twice in the head, remained in critical but stable condition yesterday.

A substantial amount of cash was taken from the home, police said.

The two women were not involved in any criminal activity, police said.
Authorities said they did not know why Taylor's girlfriend was released unharmed but his mother and sister were shot.