This I remember

Happened back in 1994. An 11-year-old child already involved with gangs was murdered very young by a couple of pitiful young men. Actually these young men were brothers aged 14 & 16 respectively.

I call them pitiful because I recall their pictures. They didn't look happy or at least had any great direction in their life. The pitiful part came from my mother, that's what she called them. It's unfortunate really.

Now back then I didn't know as much about this little boy as I do now. He was born to a crack addict mother and I have to ask once again where's daddy. Did his dad care whether he existed? Would his dad have know where he was? All the same he was abused sent to his grandmother, whose home got incredibly crowded with as many as 19 children living at home with her on some occassions.

He was 8 when he started stealing cars and breaking into houses. At 11 years old he was either too young for juvenile detention, but too dangerous to be left with kids his own age. He became a bully towards the residents and the children of the Roseland neighborhood extorting money from them. He had already racked up 23 felonies and 5 misdemeanors running errands for street gangs.

The day that made him a name know in Chicago was the day he shot a 15-year-old because he declared that he wasn't in a gang. This shooting was said to have left this young man paralyzed. Then he had the misfortune at shooting at some rival gang members. Unfortunate he hit an innocent 14-year-old girl who in a few weeks (this was August 1994) was about to start her first year of high school.

Police were looking for this boy. The Black Disciples were shuttling him around to keep him away from the police. There was still some fear that he would eventually talk to the police. He was executed under a viaduct.

From that Wiki article I found, I went on thru to this Time article. This kid didn't have a chance. His mother was messed up, and I read thru to see that his father had his issues and eventually found himself in jail. And dear old grandmother well Sandifer called her mama and his actual mother by her first name. Unfortunately social workers didn't have much faith in "Mama" either. Grandmother had her own issues.

One could conclude that this kid was doomed. Could he have gotten some help before he committed the crime of murder or attempted murder? Is it possible that he could have lead a normal life despite his background?

I don't know, but I would like to think that at 11 years old he had some time to turn some things around in his life.

If this brief blurb didn't tell you enough you can watch this vid as well