Chicago police claim that Tyshawn Lee, 9, was executed because of actions by his father, Pierre Stokes. According to the Chicago Tribune, police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said that Tyshawn was specifically targeted by gangsters in retaliation for an incident that involved Stokes.
While walking to his grandmother’s home after school, Lee was approached by gang members who shot him in the head and back. His basketball was found inches away from his lifeless body.
Police claim that Stokes was confrontational with them during questioning and wouldn’t reveal any information on potential suspects. Stokes countered by saying that he doesn’t have any information to give. But there could be a potential issue with police connecting Stokes to a gang retaliation without having any suspects in custody.
Police also said there is a gang war between the Gangster Disciples and Black P Stones after Tracey Morgan, 25, of the Black P Stones was killed in October.
While in Chicago, our publication spoke with Angel Grant of Increase the Peace to discuss the overwhelming effect of violence within the community. “A lot of the violence stems from poverty,” Grant said. “There also aren’t many role models who are able to give the kids guidance. As a result, the streets are reaching our kids at a young age. It’s come to the point where we see violence every day. We have to bring everyone together. It’s going to take our elders and Black youth to come together to help us solve the problem of Black-on-Black crime.”
