3 teens charged in student's beating death

[Heracles 417]

I hope certain posters who have been critical of my opinion that how can kids in America get an education we they cannot even get to a from school safely, pay good attention to this.

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Cell phone video purportedly catches stomping at Chicago high school

msnbc.com staff and news service reports

updated 3:13 p.m. ET, Mon., Sept . 28, 2009

CHICAGO - Three teenagers were charged Monday with beating a 16-year-old to death as he walked home from school, the latest killing in a city school system rife with violence.

Family members believe Derrion Albert was fatally beaten Thursday for refusing to join a gang. But some witnesses say he was a bystander who was swept into a violent fight.

A vigil for Albert was planned outside Fenger High School on the city’s South Side on Monday afternoon.

Police have been using a video purportedly taken by a person at the scene of the beating to help identify people. The video shows several people beating and stomping a person believed to be Albert.

Cook County state’s attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin says the teens under arrest, Silvanus Shannon, 19, Eugene Riley, 18, and Eric Carson, 16, were charged with first-degree murder as adults. They were denied bond during a court appearance.

Chicago police said they were bolstering security around Fenger High School. Police patrolled the area in squad cars on Monday and staged a visible presence at the entrance, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"We want to provide reassurance to the public that there's a police presence and they can feel safe in the neighborhood and kids can feel safe at school," Morgan Park District Cmdr. Michael Kuemmeth told the Tribune.

The Chicago public school system has about 407,000 students in 666 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district and has been plagued by violence in recent years. During the 2007-2008 school year, at least 20 students were killed, including 18 by gunfire. The year before, more than 30 students were killed, again most by gun violence.

'It was mob action'

In court Monday, prosecutors said the fatal beating was not gang-related, but the incident began as a dispute between groups of students from different areas, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

The suspects are scheduled for preliminary hearings Oct. 19.

The Rev. Victor Grandberry told NBC Chicago that Albert "was just a nice young man that grew up in the community. Folks just bullied on him, they tried to rob him, they tried to do everything they can."

Meanwhile, police were investigating the beating, including video purportedly taken by a person at the scene.

The video, which shows several people beating and stomping a person believed to be Albert, has been turned over to police.

A camera attached to the Agape Community Center also captured at least part of the attack, the center's executive director, Milton Massie, told NBC Chicago.

"It was mob action, basically a bunch of kids, some coming from the east and others from the west on the street, fighting," he said.

NBC Chicago reported that the violence began with about 10 teens, with more than 50 quickly joining in. Most of the participants used their hands and feet, but at least one person wielded a 2-by-4, Massie said.

"It wasn't until the cops drew a gun and one kid was Tasered that they started to run and scatter," Massie told NBC Chicago.

Mourners gather near school

Mourners gathered outside the school Monday, near where Albert was beaten, according to USA Today.

A pot of white flowers stood in front of two posters that featured photos of the slain youth. One poster was covered with handwritten memorials, USA Today reported.

"Derrion, you will be missed," one read.

The neighborhood around the school has long been plagued by gang violence, resident Mary Washington told USA Today. "They're killing our children, our hope for the future," said Washington, 69. "When will it stop?"

The Associated Press, Chicago Tribune and NBC Chicago contributed to this report.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33057768/ns/us...ime_and_courts/

[Chica Yeyé 41]

omg. what a tragedy. Children killing children. Nice parenting, y'all.

[Heracles 417]

I honestly don't understand why kids are just so freagin stupid here. Just saw on the local news that a teenager was just sentenced who was robbing a house, yet decided to shot a college kid napping at home between the eyes and then shot his mother in the ear, who was calling 911.

I can count on one hand how many kids were charged with murder, in a city of 4 million, back in Melb.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Booyah!

[Heracles 417]

The violence look like something out of a 3rd world country. Not some so-called first world country that many beat their chest about.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Booyah!

[Krikit 1,165]

I'm not going to view it because I was pre-warned by reports and I don't do "gruesome" well..... so you may want to use caution if you're going to hit the play button on that video.

[Heracles 417]

I'm not going to view it because I was pre-warned by reports and I don't do "gruesome" well..... so you may want to use caution if you're going to hit the play button on that video.

Looks like a scene out of black hawk down.

[thepizzadude 26]

Just shows the stupidity and lack of parental guidance in todays youth. It is not IMHO any one people, it is the youth of today and the total ignorance by the past generation to care about raising intelligent children who know the meaning of responsibility and compassion. This is what happens when parents are not allowed to raise their children like they know they should.

[Heracles 417]

I am just waiting for those here who claim education is the solution and refuted my claims that a kid cannot learn when they fear for their life.

Edited September 29, 2009 by Booyah!

[alienlovechild 75]

The violence look like something out of a 3rd world country. Not some so-called first world country that many beat their chest about.

Not your problem. I always give people who raise this point a simple query- How many of these poor youth are you will to take into your country in order to reform them into productive citizens? You beat can your chest on that one.

Edited September 29, 2009 by alienlovechild

[Danno 1,228]

It's a new world my friends, the age of instant video.... and most important, the outlets to post it.

In decades past, the "gate keepers" of mainstream media would have limited how much of this type of thing we saw.

Due to the internet... and camera phones, We in middle America will see more and more of what a miserable failure the Left and their policies have meant for urban schools.