The cruel and atrocious killing of 16-year-old honor student in Chicago is an indicator of the anger in our youth’s thinking across the country. Derrion Albert from Christian Fenger Academy High School was walking home from school, and somehow got caught in a street brawl with two opposing neighborhoods. Instead of someone calling the authorities to stop the fight, it was recorded on a cell phone.
On Monday night September 28, 2009, cell phone footage was shown to American homes, of Chicago African American young men viciously kicking and striking a student with wooded planks until he is dead. Based on reports, the violence stemmed from a shooting involving two groups of students from different neighborhoods.
Several young men wielding wooden planks strike Derrion Albert on the head. After he falls, he tries to get up and protect himself. The group of young men continue too hit him with the wooden planks, and eventually kicked Albert once he is down on the ground.
There are many stories of why Albert was caught in the middle of this fight. Some believe he was helping a friend who was being overpowered by the other group. Others think that he was helping his group protect their turf or honor. Nevertheless, Derrion Albert is dead, and another statistic of a senseless killing is put on the police report, and talked about in the community.
Prosecutors have charged Silvonus Shanoron, 19, Eugene Riley, 18, Eric Carson, 16, and Eugene Bailey 18, with first-degree murder. Chicago police are looking for three more suspects. Police has increased patrols before and after school in this neighborhood.
An internal investigation by the Chicago police Department has been launched to determine whether a police squad near the scene did nothing to stop the fight. Albert’s family is overwhelmed with the vicious murder, and Rev. Jesse Jackson has counseled some of the family members.
Joseph Walker, the man Derrion Albert called grandfather sat in a circle in Jackson’s office and stated, “It took us two years to save up enough money to buy him a computer and Derrion loved it.”
