North Side Homicide

[Towntalk]

The police aren't telling us every little detail until they have all their I's dotted and their T's crossed, but from all that they have said, it was an accident. As to the gun, the other boy could have panicked, grabbed the gun and tossed it anywhere between where it happened and his home. He is cooperating with the police so it shouldn't be too long before they find the gun.


Another part of the puzzle:

Martin said the gun Wright is believed to have been carrying has not been recovered, but a large crowd of people gathered at the scene before police arrived and the gun could have been taken by anyone in the crowd.

[jay]

So where is the gun?

[Towntalk]

Jay, before you chock this up to a murder, READ the Vindy article CAREFULLY.

  "Detective Sgt. Daryl Martin said investigators are waiting on a gunshot-residue test and a few other pieces of evidence, but it appears Wright may have shot himself accidentally.
"It looks like an accident. We don't think he was trying to kill himself, but it looks like he was playing with the gun and that is what happened," said Martin."   

Youngstown cops probe whether teen shot himself by accident

http://www.vindy.com/news/2012/mar/21/cops-probe-whether-teen-shot-himself-by-/

[Towntalk]

THE WHOLE STORY


UPDATE: Officials Say Shooting Death of Teen Part of Trend



Police in Youngstown are investigating the death of a 14-year-old boy after being called to the intersection of Kensington Avenue and Tacoma Avenue about 9:30 p.m. Monday.

Suadonte Wright died from a gunshot wound to the head, but police are trying to determine if it was an accident or a homicide. Either way, this incident highlights a trend on the streets: More teens are carrying guns.

"Right now, we're leaving it as a deceased person. There's some information we got that it may be accidental," said Youngstown Police Chief Rod Foley.

Witnesses heard two gunshots, then investigators found several spent shell casings on the road. However, no gun was found at the scene.

"Obviously it's a tragedy. If it's a 14-year-old boy, if it's an accident, he had access to a firearm. So we're working that angle, trying to figure out where this firearm came from and why was he playing with it allegedly as some statements we got last night were saying," Foley said.

The Chief said they've been stepping up sweeps through high crime areas and are finding more teens are carrying guns. The Mahoning County Juvenile Justice system also is noticing that trend, despite the fact aggravated robberies, felonious assaults, and weapons under disabilities charges have gone down from 2009 to 2011.

Still, though, the number of murder charges went from zero to five in that three-year period.

"We're seeing it's more accepted by young people to have guns. I don't know if it's status, if it's protection like they say," said Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center Court Administrator Anthony D'Apolito. "When you see an aggravated robbery, when you see a felonious assault, you know someone had a gun and whether it be in a commission of one offense or another, that alarms you. And again, why do they think they should have a gun?"

"They'd rather be caught with them than without them," said Glen Williams, executive director of One Step to Life.

Williams works with at risk youth in the city.

"When the streets become their home they got to go ahead and pick up different things to protect themselves that way," Williams said.

Williams said it will take more than the police and courts to curb the violence, and organizations like his need to go out and meet the kids needs' on the streets.

[iwasthere]

what was a fourteen year old doing out at midnight?

[Rick Rowlands]

Its like there are two Youngstowns.  The civilized Ytown, and the barbaric Ytown.  Here is a victim of the barbaric Ytown.

[jay]

Last night a teen was murdered near the corner of Tacoma and Kensington.