Tragic shootings happen often in Chicago. This month closes out with 42 murders. The most murders in less than one month. Rahm Emmanuel better do something about this or he'll lose his mayoral position.
One in particular touched the nation and the White House. A young teenager who was a honor student was killed near the president's neighborhood.
Hadiya Pendleton was 15 years old when she had an opportunity to shine in the world. She had the honor to be a performer in the school marching band at the president's inauguration. A week later, the young girl was shot in the back. She died of her injuries.
This shooting went viral. The conservative media was of course spinning their racist word salad about the Black on Black crime epidemic while also defending White men owning firearms.
The liberal media was also in the spin cycle saying that this incident, the shootings in Phoenix and Midland City, Alabama were signs of a growing epidemic of gun violence. Former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a victim of a near fatal shooting and former gun rights advocate wants Congress to pass reasonable gun control measures. Wayne LaPierre and the National Rifle Association are tone deaf to even the possibility of gun control. They slam the gun control measures sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) as imperfect and not a way to solve violence in the country.
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Hadiya's death also atones to a growing problem in Chicago, Illinois. Gang violence. They city is swamped with gangs and these individuals are committing an act of domestic terrorism. Last year the city closed out with over 500 murders, a record year after years of steady decline. The Chicago Tribune reports that at a White House press briefing Wednesday, Obama spokesman Jay Carney was asked about Hadiya's death. "It's a terrible tragedy any time a young person is struck down with so much of their life ahead of them, and we see it far too often," he said.
Hadiya's slaying also came up in an interview Obama did with Telemundo. The president was asked whether the example of Chicago, with strict gun control laws, gave credence to the National Rifle Association's position that more gun laws don't necessary mean less gun violence.
"Well, the problem is that a huge proportion of those guns come in from outside Chicago," Obama said. The president said it was true that creating a "bunch of pockets of gun laws" without a unified, integrated system of background checks makes it harder for a single community to protect itself from gun violence.
Police announced an $11,000 reward for information leading to the killer's capture and conviction during a Wednesday afternoon news conference at the North Kenwood park where Hadiya was shot.
"I want this closed now," said police Supt. Garry McCarthy, who was among the police chiefs in Washington on Monday to meet with Obama on gun control. "I don't want to wait."
Hadiya was the 42nd homicide victim this year in Chicago, where killings last year climbed above 500. Mayor Rahm Emanuel spoke with Hadiya's mother Wednesday morning and later, at an unrelated news conference, said the teenager represented "what is best in our city."
"A child going to school, who takes a final exam, who had just been to inaugural," said Emanuel, looking down at the podium for several seconds to collect himself before continuing. "And I think if anybody has any information, you are not a snitch, you're a citizen. You're a good citizen in good standing if you help."
Hadiya's father, Nathaniel Pendleton, pleaded for someone to step forward and bring the 15-year-old's killer to justice.
"She was destined for great things," he said.
Hadiya was a majorette with the band at King, one of the city's elite selective-enrollment schools. She dreamed of going to Northwestern University and talked about becoming a pharmacist or a journalist, maybe a lawyer.
She had just finished her final exams at King, where she was a sophomore, and was hanging out with friends from the school's volleyball team Tuesday afternoon in a park in the 4400 block of South Oakenwald Avenue. The group sought shelter from a rainstorm under a canopy at the park about 2:20 p.m. when a gunman jumped a fence, ran toward them and opened fire, police said.
As the teens scattered, Hadiya and two teenage boys were shot. Hadiya was hit in the back and pronounced dead at Comer Children's Hospital less than an hour after the shooting. The wounds suffered by the boys were not life-threatening.
McCarthy stressed that neither Hadiya nor anyone in the group she was with were involved with gangs. But it appears the gunman mistook the students for members of a rival gang, he said.
"This guy, whoever he was, the gunman … you took the light of my life," Hadiya's father said. "Just look at yourself and just know that you took a bright person, an innocent person, a non-violent person."
No bullet casings were found by investigators at the crime scene, leading them to believe that Hadiya may have been shot with a revolver, according to McCarthy. While it took a while to gather witnesses, McCarthy said police were making "a lot of progress."
At King on Wednesday, classmates created a memorial at Hadiya's locker with pictures, teddy bears and balloons, said Jayla Rufus, 16, a junior who also traveled to D.C. with the King band. "A lot of people are saying, 'Why Hadiya? Why did it have to be her?'" Rufus said.
During the band's three-day trip to Washington, the students visited the Washington Monument and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Rufus said. Hadiya and the majorettes performed with the band in the Presidential Inauguration Heritage Festival.
The school won multiple awards while at the competition, including a first place honor for the band's auxiliary team that included the majorettes, according to Benjamin Washington, the school's director of bands.
Washington said Hadiya was a dedicated and enthusiastic member of the squad. She competed with nearly 100 students during her freshman year to land one of 12 spots.
"She was one of our bright, shining stars," Washington said. "She had a very outgoing personality, always eager to perform."
King's principal, Shontae Higginbottom, said Hadiya was "a wonderful student."
"She was well-loved by her friends, well-adored by her teachers," Higginbottom said. "We are going to miss her. Our hearts are so heavy."
Relatives of the girl said she was in an anti-gang violence video while she was attending the Carter G. Woodson Elementary School.
"So many children are out there in gangs and it is your job as students to say no to gangs and yes to a great future," Hadiya says in the 54-second clip.
At Hadiya's Bronzeville home Wednesday, family and friends gathered to grieve and share stories about the boisterous teen they said had a quirky sense of humor.
Hadiya's little brother, Nathaniel Pendleton Jr., 10, recalled how his big sister would often greet him with a few gentle slaps on his cheeks whenever she came home from school.
"She said it was with love," he said.
"It's very painful to see your big sister get slaughtered," the soft-spoken boy said, tearing up as he went through photos of Hadiya on his phone.
Hadiya's aunt, Kimiko Pettis, laughed when talking about her niece, recalling how on Tuesday, the day she was shot, the teen put on makeup and what she declared was a "fabulous outfit" before school.
"She popped out of the bathroom saying, 'I'm ready!'" Pettis said, demonstrating how Hadiya threw her arms in air.
Pettis said her niece loved bands like Coldplay and Maroon 5. "You could not find any urban music on her phone," Pettis said with a laugh.
Because Hadiya was interested in so many things, her family said they were encouraging her to pursue a possible double major when she went to college.
"There were a lot of good opportunities that were coming her way. She was just taking them all," said LaKeisha Stewart, 37, Hadiya's godmother. "She was the kid who you had to say, 'Slow down, you can't do everything.'"
While in Washington for the inauguration, Hadiya sent her godparents a text and a photo of her and her teammates in the capital, Stewart said.
In the photo, Hadiya stands tall in her majorette's uniform, hands at her hips, face lifted in a wide smile.
The Chicago Tribune reporters Katherine Skiba, Christi Parsons, John Byrne, Carlos Sadovi and Cynthia Dizikes contributed to this story.
The problem continues and yet we allow it. The nation should do something about gun violence. With the president being reelected, many conservative White males are grabbing guns up! They are embolden by the angry voices of the NRA, talk radio, Fox News, the blogs. These individuals think they'll lose their Second Amendment rights by a semi-automatic gun ban. These individuals are the reasons for mental health checks.
Practically anyone who joins a gang has a group think mentality to be loved or wanted. That's a mental issue as well. I mean how many young teenagers wanted to be a part of something?
These children are inspired by video games, hip-hop music, rock music, magazines, talk radio and may have family members who own firearms. It's among the things that could inspire violence.
While the NRA is quick to blame the entertainment industry, they're not blameless. Over 1,000 shootings happen in the weeks after their press conference. There's a "survivalist" holding a child hostage as of today!
They've allowed Ted Nugent to say offensive themes about the president. They've released an online shooting game. The NRA have ran a political ad that slams the president and it went after his children Malia and Sasha. Last month's press conference held by Wayne LaPierre and David Keene didn't change the subject. It only made it worse.
Conservative agitators rush to defend the NRA. The conservative agitators want this issue to become another political landmine for the potential to help Republicans take back the U.S. Senate. The president has warned that if nothing is done, more lives may be lost. And the next story that's going to be covered will deal with the Midland City, Alabama incident.
I've said it many times and I stand by what I said!
GUN RIGHTS FOR WHITE MALES! GUN CONTROL FOR BLACKS, LATINOS AND MUSLIMS!
Whenever a tragedy happens in the suburbs, many Americans want serious talk about gun control. But in our urban areas, it's just another topic on the late local news.
Every live is valued. Whether it's our friend or enemy. We must figure out how to bring together reasonable ideas to resolve conflict.
I own a firearm and I at least know that I'm not going to use for the purposes of crime.
We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the family of Hadiya Pendleton.
