Written by: Robert Littal
As many of you know I am a proud alum of The Ohio State University, so when I started to hear reports that an OSU recruit had been shot, it immediately got my attention, when I started to research the details an all to familiar scene came to the forefront. Here is a description of the tragic events:
A talented OSU football recruit is in a hospital in his hometown, the victim of an overnight shooting that killed the teenage girl he was visiting. According to NBC 4’s sister station in Youngstown, WFMJ, Jamel Turner told 911 operators he had been shot early Saturday morning. Medics found him suffering multiple wounds at a corner near the house where they found Tracy Banks, 17, who was fatally shot.
Police told reporters Banks had been baby-sitting for a 4-year-old girl who was found unharmed.
The child reportedly told police she heard Tracy arguing with her boyfriend, Melvin Shaw, before the gunfire. Shaw is considered a suspect, say police, but is not in custody. Turner is in critical condition at a Youngstown hospital. He reported being wounded in a drive-by shooting in Youngstown in April; those injuries were not serious.
You see this everyday on the news, young people being shot and murdered over minor disagreements, jealousy, money, drugs, women and etc. What is more disturbing about this particular story is that a 4 year old child possibly witnessed a person being killed.
No one knows exactly if Turner was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, but this is the second time he has been shot in the past three months meaning if he gets through this and I pray that he does, he has to make better decisions about the company he keeps.
I lived in Columbus, Oh for five years and had many friends from Youngstown and let me tell you when you go to Youngstown you would think it was 1975, not 2010. It is a very downtrodden and rough city. Violence is high throughout the city and murders like these happen daily.
All we can do is pray that our young people realize that whatever the dispute is about, it is never serious enough to take someone’s life, it just isn’t. Very sad story, very sad situation and my heart goes out to the Banks’ family. I pray that Turner makes it through and realizes you can only gamble with your life for so long before you crap out.
No comments:
Post a Comment