There must be something in the water. As of late I have had the unfortunate task of writing about tragedies within the African American community. It is a well-known fact that with respect to murder, which is senseless, that 93 of every 100 African Americans killed lose their lives at the hands of other African Americans. Yesterday I wrote about a man who beat his wife while she was giving birth to his child. Today, I am writing about yet another tragic incident.
Yesterday in Staten Island, N.Y., police reported that a 14-year-old boy killed his mother and siblings, then set their home on fire before killing himself. C.J. Jones was described as a young teen who had a history of setting fires and getting into trouble in school. Authorities suspect he killed his 32-year-old mother Leisa, 2-year-old brother Jermaine, 7-year-old sister Melonie and 10-year-old sister Brittney. He reportedly slit his sisters’ throats, then proceeded to set the house on fire and commit suicide by slitting his throat also.
Police also say that the day prior to the event, C.J. got kicked out of a public pool for setting a fire.
Additional sources told local news affiliates that the conclusion was based on several observations. The first was that they found C.J. in a back bedroom lying atop a razor, separate from the rest of the bodies and that the blaze had started in the room where his family was found. Autopsies will be conducted today and the medical examiner will determine the official causes of the deaths.
It’s obvious that C.J. Jones was troubled, hurting and in terrible pain. Clearly this child was troubled if he had a history of setting fires, the question is why were the warning signs of deep psychological disturbance ignored? I honestly believe this tragedy could have been avoided if young C.J. had been noticed and obtained the help he required. –torrance stephens, ph.d.
