Teens charged in brutal attack on Chicago honor student

My heart goes out to Derrion's mother and family and I hope that his murderers get the death penalty. Gov. Quinn, time to lift the moratorium. The more bodies we move from the prisons, the less bodies we move from the streets.

Unfortunately, some of these young people are the only responsible person in their household or family because of various reasons. A committed effort by the schools, other responsible adults, law enforcement and the court system, and social science professionals must come together to get solutions to this crisis. It's not just Chicago. This violentce and behavior is happening across the country. We are seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Chicago needs to STOP for a day long TIME OUT. Every individual in this city, the adopted "home" of President Obama and the place of my birth, needs to reckon with the outrageous and heartbreaking incident that occurred, even if it has happened over and over again. The incident demands the kind of reflection that we, unfortunately, save for spectacular events that thrill us. We need to struggle with the indecency and desperation of all involved - the perpetrators, the victim, the bystanders, and now the entire world, as the video plays over and over again and we sit back and watch this young man's life snuffed out.

What are young black teens becoming?, animals. That is just outright barbaric what I saw there, I felt sick to my stomach watching it. disgusting.

Parents: Get rid of the unrealistic video games and start spending some quality time with your children.

Totally outrageous....totally.

I am so sorry for this boys family. We as a society have failed him. We have looked the other way while these kids have turned into literal monsters right before our eyes. They learned how to be beasts with what they listen to, and watch. And now we have a whole culture lost to the glorification of violence. BLACK CHURCHES !!!! WHERE ARE YOU !!!! WE NEED YOU !!!

Preachers can you step away from the collection plate long enough to come give some much needed leadership in our community. We slept on crack, and what happened? We slept on rap, and what happened? We slept on fartherless blacks, and what happened? We cant afford to sleep anymore. It's time to act now.

Very well said In Dallas very well said!!!!!

BLACK AMERICA needs to get it together!

We had 700 comments on Joe Wilson's ingorant ass. We should have double that in concern from thedailyvoice regulars about our young children losing their precious young lives to senseless violence. Pray for our nation. We wont survive too much longer like this.

Charles, perhaps people need to shut the f*ck up and reflect. What the hell is coming on this 'virtual board" and expressing our detached opinions doing for the young people of America???

I am so sorry for all the family's involved. Everyone is going to suffer in this case. All the family's need support at this time and will for a long time to come.

i don't know the backgrounds of these young men , but i do know many, relatives included, who have responsible parents; and they're still borderline sociopaths. there are a lot of negatives influences out there and violence is glamorized thru tv, music, the government, etc., and its takes a strong mind to resist. "It is just absolutely ridiculous that we're not teaching our children any type of conflict resolution," Alderman Austin said" if government is the teacher,then violence is the answer. if you don't do what we want, we drop bombs on you. we'll steal your oil & other natural resources. remember Bush's boastful display of photos of Saddams two slain sons in the media. most blacks and whites don't give a damn about all those innocent civilians being killed in iraq, afghanistan & pakistan. Even Obama is now showing his cojones thru threats and indimidation. in a sense, maybe the youth are just emulating the government and grown ups.

Karen, this may be a virtual board but this is still a form of communication. And when your communicating on a subject this important, you should say something thats thoughtful. You saw this story and could only respond with a comment about me? Thats why our kids are so screwed up. Because they have in-different mothers like you. Now reflect on that.

When I first heard about this on the news I was completely shocked !!! What is happening with today's youth ??? Are they so detached from human life and violence because of video games, violent movies and the glorification of violence the "thug culture" and "gangsta-ism" in our society ??? Is it because of a lack of respect for themselves and others ??? Is it because of a lack of parental guidance ??? I say it's a combination of all these factors and the fact that everyone seems to want their 15 minutes by videotaping and posting it on youtube??? I'm sure there were some there who wanted to stop it but couldn't, just as I hope that someone tried to seek help!!! Did anyone think to call 911 instead of videotaping this ??? Parts of Chicago are starting to become as violent as third world countries and war zones !!! In what civilized society does such violence occur to school children either at school, on their way to or from school ??? All those who were responsible for that young man's death should receive the death penalty !!!

Now wait just a damn moment, D. They DO NOT DESERVE THE DEATH PENALTY...they need HELP! They need help from all of the foolishness of rap, TV, mis-informed adults and a whole list of other things...look into their eyes....LOOK AT THEM, DAMMIT! Tell me that they are not a product of their environments and I will tell you that you are a liar. Yes they deserve punishment for what they did...yes I feel bad for everybody involved...yes someone should have and could have broke that crap up when it was happening but none of that happened. We need to stop locking our own up and find out what the hell is going on with them!!!! Not kill them! That only creates more of what we don't want!

If my first comment had been allowed, I could have added a little context.

Does being ugly pre-dispose one to crime? If it does, that would explain a lot.

DarkSun3z- THEY NEED TO DIE! Do you know how evil you have to be to beat someone to death with a 2X4? Especially since the only thing this young man did to provoke the attack was not to join a dead-end life in a gang? He was coming home from school! He was an honor student and think of the things he would have accomplished if he were allowed to live! These murderers have robbed a mother of her son, and an entire community of one of its best and brightest. Their lives are forfeit because they CHOSE to use their resources and strengths to destroy, not build. Some people deserve a second chance, some don't. They fall into the latter. The fact that they are young is even more of a tragedy, but it is too late for them. The die has been cast and they cannot be saved, helped or rehabilitated. Justice is not sentimental. It does not see four young men who did a horrible thing. It sees four murderers who savagely beat a young man to death simply because he wanted more than they did. They had already resigned themselves to a life of crime and no opportunity and decided that Derrion should die because he wanted more. How do you rehabilitate that?! What point of reference do you have with that type of cold, calculated reasoning? "If I can't have it, you can't either!" You can do nothing for individuals who think that way! The only good contribution that individuals like that can have on society is to serve as a cautionary tale. If you behave this way, then this is what will happen to you. Not life in prison, DEATH! Seeing your life snuffed out as worthless. Just like they did to Derrion. They deserve the same type of compassion and mercy that they gave to Derrion. Again, my heart and prayers go out to his mother and family. I can't imagine the pain they are going through!

I'm sorry "yall' but I have to BRAG! I'm a "divorced" single mom and I have NO PROBLEMS with my 15 year old son. When I saw my son's friends in the neighborhood going astray I talked to their mothers i.e. Age 13 John is having sex on the front porch at night or in the truck parked in the driveway. My neighbor told me "his older brother to him to get all the P_ _ _ Y he can get". (She and I attend the same church). I told my son he could not be friends with John because John was having sex at age 13 and I wasn't ready for him to have sex. (This was the same thing my mother told me when my childhood friend got pregnant at age 13---I could not be friends with her because she was having sex at 13 and got pregnant. And that wasn't something my mother wanted me doing). I did not want my son having sex at 13 and if my neighbor could not understand that, than she needed to keep her son at her home and I would keep mine at my home. (When I became a mother at age 30 my childhood friend simutaneously became a GRANDMOTHER). I advocate words from the bible. YOU CAN BE IN THIS WORLD BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE OF THIS WORLD. IT'S A PARENTAL ISSUE! I put my life on HOLD to raise my son. I wanted to be a good parent. My neighbors know I love them as neighbors but when it comes to my son...I DON'T PLAY! I see another neighbor who God blessed with three boys... They are using drugs and selling drugs...the oldest is 18. I could not believe it. I only have ONE...but raising a child was not hard at ALL.

i come from that violence and i know it personally. those kids were acting out what they've seen. i remember my cousin beating his knuckles bloody on concrete because he saw it in a ghetto boys video. i told him that was fake, and he said i was a liar. black kids are looking for leadership and it isn't the church. sorry. it's the teachers. that kid didn't have to die. those three boys didn't have to lose thier lives. i want a program where black men in prison raise black sons without fathers. spread the word.

@ARNEADER: Congratulations! You are raising YOUR child. Yay, for you. So am I. And so were Derrion's parents...and a lot of good it did them. My point is that it doesnn't matter if SOME of us raise OUR children, if they will only be trounced or slaughters by the children of dysfunctional families. I am terrified that my beautiful daughter will not survive this madness. And who will she marry? And this is not just a BLACK problem. The violence that is a fact of life in our society is a national crisis. And if we don't stop and give it the attention it deserves, we may all perish. And @neo: Are you really suggesting that Black men in prison father our young men? Really? That might be a good idea for some of the men who are decent and falsely imprisoned or remorsefuly for their crimes, but quite honestly, I wouldn't want most of those animanl within a few miles of me or anyone in my family. And I don't mean to sound elitist, but I am a pround, conscious Black woman keeping it real.

what a shame. the 3 black boys look so scared and out of their minds to the core.

This is going to sound harsh but here goes...we don't know what the young man who died was in to. His mother thought that he was a good kid but we don't know what the hell was really going on. I have a nephew that was an angel on the INSIDE of the house and around the family and brought home straight A's but....when the little devil left the house for school, not only was he a gang member but he was one of the school's biggest bullies! I can only imagine what the parents are going through but we have to think on this one folks. Why was he there? Who knew that kid that got killed? What was his reputation like around the hood? Where are his friends? There are too many "who"s and "where"s. The kid DID NOT deserve to die. No one deserves to die by another man's hands but we don't know EVERYTHING. My mother thought I was an angel too but that wasn't the case. Those boys in the mug shots need help. Not death, Omar. They are scared shitless, don't know what is about to happen to them and I am sure there will be other killers after them so do we kill them all or help as many as we can??? Get real people. Everyone needs a second chance. I hate with all of my heart that they did that and again I say they need to be punished but not death. They know their lives are basically ruined and it will never be the same. Never. I don't want them around my family either...not until they get the help they need to come out of that shitty place they are in now.

It's true that we do not know what Derrion was in to outside his mother's house. But he didn't deserve to die at the hands of the four teenagers whatever he did. darksun3z, please save your compassion for someone who deserves it. Trust me, Derrion's don't deserve it. You reach out your hand to help them and they will cut it off. There are people out there who are just as the bible describes them. Fierce, without love of goodness, not open to any agreement. They deserve to be scared shitless. But it's too late. Derrion is dead and their lots in life are not going to get any better. In fact, death would be merciful at this point. These boys are going to do hard time. They will be locked up with the most brutal individuals who will kill them as soon as look at them or worse. No amount of counseling will be helpful. I remember Stan Tookie Williams, the leader of the Crips. Towards the end of his life, he did a lot of good warning young people to stay away from gangs and he managed to do much good to bring attention to the dead end life that gangs offer. But, in the end, Tookie was executed for the crimes he committed. Sad to say, these four young men must pay for their crimes, too. They killed a human being. They have to pay for that...with their own lives.

Remember Stan Tookie Williams, leader of the Crips? Towards the end of his life, he tried to warn young folks of where gang life would lead. He was executed for his crimes, but it seems that the lessons he tried to teach fell on deaf ears because the senseless violence continues. For all of the parents who try to raise your children to be responsible adults, hats off to you. For those of you that are allowing your children to raise themselves, be prepared to see your child die or worse yet, locked up like an animal. The only tragedy is that they will take one of ours with them. That's why these four young men must be made an example of. At this point, death would actually be merciful. What kind of life do they have to look forward to? They are looking at hard time. Being beaten, raped and killed at any moment by killers more hardened and vicious than they are. Darksun3z, what kind of help could they receive that would atone for the crime they committed and what's waiting for them in prison? NOTHING! Just a waste of time and resources that could be used to help those are who are redeemable.

It makes me sick and brought tears to my eyes.

No Safe Harbors you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! Like Derrion it seems to be the "good kid" that gets off worse. And you are right it's not just a BLACK problem. I tried public school last year for my son because he would have entered high school with his graduating class. My son lasted 2 days in public school. I knew he would probably have to deal with socialization skills with the kids. I had no idea he would get flat out cussed out by "TWO" teachers. I yanked my son out of public school and put in back into private school. School as I thought it was, was a SAFE PLACE (at least that's what the sign on the building states). Now you know I came out of a bag on the administration regarding my son. One of the teachers was a 30 year veteran and the other had not been in the school system long. I felt like public school would have erased EVERYTHING I had worked so hard for with my son. Some of these children do not stand a FAIR chance. If they are in dysfunctionable homes and then they go to schools (not all of them) that are dysfunctionable...what is a kid suppose to do. You have some teachers and some schools not setting good examples (not all teachers and schools). At the vigil the other day for Derrion... an argument broke out....AT THE VIGIL! The people were blaming elected officials. INITIALLY it starts at HOME. How dare you blame officials for your children acting OUTLANDISH! Now we know Chicago has violence with ADULTS too! We have seen the news reports. The GROWN FOLK are killing each other too. I don't like to stereotype but CHICAGO needs to get itself together-- get some values, morals and standards. Those parents in Chicago know who they are. I have some relatives that let their kids sell drugs, are on drugs, and they gang banging etc. And the parents don't say anything but take that drug money from their kids. And out of all things President Obama and his crew are trying to get the Olympics there. OMG! Will visitors to Chicago get gunned down while visiting there! Or perhaps they can ship all the RENEGADES to a deserted island.

I didn't understand the context with which these young men were called Ugly and I am not really questioning the posters comment; however, in saying that, I find the negative behavior of many of our young people Ugly. Now that I've said that, where do any of us go from here. We have criticized the system, we've blasted these young peoples characters, some want them dead, some want them rehabilitated, but even if all of you get your wishes where do we go from here????? This violence has been played out over and over again and everybody rolls there eyes for a few days or a few seconds and not a lot is done other then name calling or death wishes. So, we kill them off and their are still more bad seeds waiting in the wings. So, we let them live and their still more waiting in the wings. The solution has gotten so complex that we have to start with the babies and the babies having babies. This isn't funny anymore. This is dead on serious. Venting on this site is one thing but at the risk of being redundant where do we take this current crisis with our young people. Apparently, the young people aren't listening.

Looking at these young men's faces and I see EVIL. It's a break down of civility... is this the future of the black community? Where are the parents? It's not up to schools to raise a kid. This is so heart breaking.

Ostend Street: You asked where do we go from here. Maybe it is too late for the current generation of teenagers. However, parents have to instill in their kids the value of human life starting at a young age. Parents who lose control of their kids and when that lost of control is obviously the fraught of the parents, the parents need to be punished along with their kids. Maybe then parents will take their responsibility more seriously. I am not saying that all parents are responsible for the crimes of their children. But, when clear evidence points to the parent, action should be taken against the parent also.

I meant to say fault instead of fraught.

It's a senseless loss. I believe the is bigger and not isolated in just the community. It's an AMERICAN PROBLEM. It' hard to teach conflict resoultion when we're engaged in two illegal wars. And for what? The war on terrorisim? Violence begets violence.

Hi im from illinois and i wanted to say that my heart goes out to Derrions family and to him even know he is not here with us now. I stay in louisiana and i'm just seeing this very sad video that is still on the internet that is really rediculous and helpless to watch. I dont know Derrion as a friend or family member , but i know that losing a member of a family is very painful .How can someone do this with no remorse? I really cant tell you , but it really takes me to a place to think of where this world is coming to. Since this happened it just make parents more aware of how serious it is in the real world. As for me im disappoint and to say im only 15 ,it gives me a new look on life and how i plan on living it......anything that i could do to help the family get through this tragedy i would be more than happy to ... YOU ARE GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN! REST IN PEACE DERRION FONTE ALBERT NO ONE WILL FORGET YOU!

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The statistics are really incredible, the stakes are generally massive, it is challenging to discuss and even tougher to deal with it. Technologies, therapy, communicating... each of them compete with human nature. And every scenario is different.