Laid To Rest: Beaten Chicago Teen Remembered
UPDATE: 10/04/09: Still in shock over his violent and unprovoked death, family and friends of Derrion Albert, 16, remembered the Chicago teen at his funeral on Saturday, according to the Chicago Tribune. Four young men seen on video of the attack have been charged in his September 24 death. President Obama is taking serious action, and deployed Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan to work on an initiative to aid the national crisis of teen violence. Ministers Louis Farrakhan and Jesse Jackson have both gotten involved in the case and are addressing the issues of crimes by youth.–CJ
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Fourth Teen Charged in Case
UPDATE: 9/29/09: A fourth teenager has been charged in the beating death of 16-year-old honors student Derrion Albert, according to the Associated Press. Eugene Bailey, 18, who is due in bond court today in Chicago, is one of four people charged with first-degree murder in Albert’s death.–ZH
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Three Teens Arrested in Honor Student’s Beating Death
UPDATE: 9/28/09: Chicago police have arrested three teenagers in the beating death of 16-year-old honors student Derrion Albert, according to CNN.com. Silvanus Shannon, 19; Eric Caron, 19; and Eugene Riley, 18, were charged as adults with first degree felony murder, and all were held withouth bond. The disturbing beating was caught on tape. Police are uncertain who shot the footage, but a local TV station that received the tape turned it over to authorities.–ZH
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Derrion Albert never had a chance. The 16-year-old was killed last Thursday, September 24, when dozens of teens pounced on each other in a vacant lot next to the Agape Community Center in Chicago’s Far South Side area, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Once the police responded to the incident and staff from the community center tried to rescue Albert, it was all too late. His small body lay motionless and badly beaten.
Witnesses have said that Albert was not the target and was simply an innocent bystander who got swept up into the rucous as he walked home from school. Albert was an honor student. He is the third Chicago teen killed this month.
Police have said the fight is a result of escalating violence between two feuding groups of teens.–WLW