Teen fatally shot on Little Village street

[Mark]

Michael wrote:

<quoted text>
MOM!!!
Be a good a parent, and take care of your own, and let GOD deal with those own walk in the darkness, they too, shall come into the light of his son JESUS.

Was Jesus, busy, or on vacation, on 911? I suggest everybody quit with that God, Jesus, Religious, garbage!

[lula2u2]

SAT wrote:

when i was 16 i was not out looking for a job at 7:45 pm
at 16 when it is dark and you live in an area where there is a gang problem a parent should get their kids in the house
16, winter it is dark get in and hit the books thats my view, has nothing to do with a 16 yr old having freedom
i was 16 once but i also know my parent would not have me out at 7:45 looking for a job, playing, shopping etc.its a school night
thank you

how nice for you. you lived in a home where you didn't have togo out and find work to help your family. this is not the reality for everyone. Instead, lets commend this young man for trying to find work to help his family. don;t be so quick to judge

[MaMaS]

R.I.P Roky
you'll never be forgotten

[la villita]

This shooting is a direct retalliation for the shooting of a 19 yr old Lating King member near 26th street. Roky was targeted because he walking around Sane Disciple territory. The exchange of words were the Kings declaring their alligance and Roky must have said something to set them off. The police know this and will be patrolling the area for the next couple of weeks. There is nothing more they can do without the help of evidence from witnesses who will testify, which no one will, for fear of their life. Someone else will get shot when the police stop patrolling and here we go again. I've lived in the area for some time and this is will escalate to the point were no one is safe. Honest people who cannot just move to a suburb will just have to ride this out and be aware of their surrondings. Its all very senseless.

[Joe J]

la villita wrote:

This shooting is a direct retalliation for the shooting of a 19 yr old Lating King member near 26th street. Roky was targeted because he walking around Sane Disciple territory. The exchange of words were the Kings declaring their alligance and Roky must have said something to set them off. The police know this and will be patrolling the area for the next couple of weeks. There is nothing more they can do without the help of evidence from witnesses who will testify, which no one will, for fear of their life. Someone else will get shot when the police stop patrolling and here we go again. I've lived in the area for some time and this is will escalate to the point were no one is safe. Honest people who cannot just move to a suburb will just have to ride this out and be aware of their surrondings. Its all very senseless.

It IS senseless...and little village is becoming an embarrassment to this city. How can a community not step up and and provide info on who did this? People should be ashamed of themselves. This whole 'woe is me, i live in little village and am scared to be a witness...blah,blah, blah,' is absurd. Try being decent human beings for once...a 16-year-old is dead. And don't give the typical cop out reply to me about 'you don't know what it's like living there' crap. The community's disgusting. I bet they'll build another cross-and-stuffed-animal memorial, but still won't talk to police. Nice. Way to step up. And all we ever hear of is the value of 'community' these residents have, pride in familia, etc. Yeah, right.

[la villita]

Joe J wrote:

<quoted text>
It IS senseless...and little village is becoming an embarrassment to this city. How can a community not step up and and provide info on who did this? People should be ashamed of themselves. This whole 'woe is me, i live in little village and am scared to be a witness...blah,blah, blah,' is absurd. Try being decent human beings for once...a 16-year-old is dead. And don't give the typical cop out reply to me about 'you don't know what it's like living there' crap. The community's disgusting. I bet they'll build another cross-and-stuffed-animal memorial, but still won't talk to police. Nice. Way to step up. And all we ever hear of is the value of 'community' these residents have, pride in familia, etc. Yeah, right.

If you lived in the area you would do what you have to in order to survive. That includes not going to the cops if you were unfortunate enough to witness something like this. Can't testify because you would be next with a hole in your head. Go back to your north side or downtown condo or white picket suburban fence.

[Julie]

la villita wrote:

This shooting is a direct retalliation for the shooting of a 19 yr old Lating King member near 26th street. Roky was targeted because he walking around Sane Disciple territory. The exchange of words were the Kings declaring their alligance and Roky must have said something to set them off. The police know this and will be patrolling the area for the next couple of weeks. There is nothing more they can do without the help of evidence from witnesses who will testify, which no one will, for fear of their life. Someone else will get shot when the police stop patrolling and here we go again. I've lived in the area for some time and this is will escalate to the point were no one is safe. Honest people who cannot just move to a suburb will just have to ride this out and be aware of their surrondings. Its all very senseless.

La Villita, you sure seem to know a lot.. maybe you should go to police.. or whoever you know that knows something.. I bet the police are reading this, so even if someone posts something anonymously ..do something to end this senseless violence!!

[Luis]

Moving to the suburbs is not the answer to avoid gangs and/or crime. Unfortunately these thugs are forming their sets north to south to the far west suburbs. Visit chicagogangs.org - under Suburbs you will see a list of gangs moving into your suburban neighborhood. To all those who moved away from the city to avoid this problem, you need to take a tour through Pilsen/Little Village and see how soon these issues are replaced by condos and townhomes. I lost my brother in August 2007 in gang violence. My parents and I stand firm in the Pilsen neighborhood, not giving up that this neighborhood will eventually be accepted as a peacefull and safe neighborhood.

[Joe J]

la villita wrote:

<quoted text>
If you lived in the area you would do what you have to in order to survive. That includes not going to the cops if you were unfortunate enough to witness something like this. Can't testify because you would be next with a hole in your head. Go back to your north side or downtown condo or white picket suburban fence.

I guess 'anonymous' isn't part of your vocabulary; too many syllables, I suppose.
And, btw- When I'm not at my job teaching in Pilsen, I AM on the North Side, and Humboldt Park is hardly a picket fence neighborhood.
You don't know who I am, or where I'm from, yet you make blind assumptions. You have absolutely NO idea how ignorant you are. Read your own post; you contribute nothing. I fought in war--don't tell me about fearing for one's life. It's sad that people like you spout off the way you do without ever really saying much, and then get off on insulting others who are disgusted by violence against children, only hoping that people can take control of their communities and lives. It's certainly not as impossible as you'd have all of us believe. Thank you for your contribution, keep priding yourself on your vast knowledge of the streets, loser.

[just me]

Gabrielle, while I agree with most of what you said, I have to ask:

Do you volunteer in the neighborhood? You must be willing to give back, and to serve as an example to the kids, especially the girls, that concentrating on their studies is a way out?

To Speedy and Karma, Only you can make a difference, the cops can only do so much. I too have taught in Pilsen, and I know firsthand that most of the people in Pilsen are decent hardworking people. If all of the decent, law abiding, hardworking people banded together, the gangs would be done. Every time you see gangs congregating, call a cop. Every time you see a drug deal go down, call a cop. Every time you witness any type of violence, call a cop. These calls can be made anonymously, but if you and all of your neighbors are making those calls, the "hood" would get to hot and the gangs have to cool out. Talk to the younger kids, educate them, make them aware that being a gang member is a ticket to nowhere, and then provide them with alternatives.

Joe J.- criticizing and bashing other posters will not get your message heard.

[IMHO]

la villita wrote:

This shooting is a direct retalliation for the shooting of a 19 yr old Lating King member near 26th street. Roky was targeted because he walking around Sane Disciple territory. The exchange of words were the Kings declaring their alligance and Roky must have said something to set them off. The police know this and will be patrolling the area for the next couple of weeks.

you paint a very believable picture. i can imagine these characters working themselves into a frenzy to "avenge" a previous shooting. i suppose if the killers are ever caught we will see their mug shots and they will be wearing that familiar mask of death and hate and ignorance.

http://mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/2007/10/23...

i think the killers, if they are caught, should be de-briefed as if they were terrorists or enemy comabatants. i mean, we already know why people commit these kinds of crimes.

poor mental development, low impulse control, low self-esteem. but let's hear it from them...what led you to kill a child

[IMHO]

Joe J wrote:

<quoted text>It IS senseless...and little village is becoming an embarrassment to this city. How can a community not step up and and provide info on who did this? People should be ashamed of themselves. This whole 'woe is me, i live in little village and am scared to be a witness...blah,blah, blah,' is absurd.

one theory i have is that the community has so many undocumented immigrants that people are afriad to deal with the police.

on the other hand, let's hear from some people who live there 30 years ago. was la villita always rough?

[politicians stand up]

Every day I hear politicians spewing forth plans. Plans to save rapid transit, plans to bring us the Olympics, plans for a greener Chicago, plans for Millennium Park. When is someone going to step forward with a viaible plan to take back our streets and save our children. I do not want to hear the responsible parenting garbage. You want more taxes.Fine I'll gladly pay. But in return give us the hope that senseless street violence will diminish. I'm not saying violence will stop. I'm just asking to make our streets safer for our children

[Karma]

just me wrote:

Gabrielle, while I agree with most of what you said, I have to ask:
Do you volunteer in the neighborhood? You must be willing to give back, and to serve as an example to the kids, especially the girls, that concentrating on their studies is a way out?
To Speedy and Karma, Only you can make a difference, the cops can only do so much. I too have taught in Pilsen, and I know firsthand that most of the people in Pilsen are decent hardworking people. If all of the decent, law abiding, hardworking people banded together, the gangs would be done. Every time you see gangs congregating, call a cop. Every time you see a drug deal go down, call a cop. Every time you witness any type of violence, call a cop. These calls can be made anonymously, but if you and all of your neighbors are making those calls, the "hood" would get to hot and the gangs have to cool out. Talk to the younger kids, educate them, make them aware that being a gang member is a ticket to nowhere, and then provide them with alternatives.
Joe J.- criticizing and bashing other posters will not get your message heard.

I can answer your quetion to Gabrielle: No.

As for calling the police; I have them on speed dial. I moved around a lot, I lived in Pilsen (still volunteer there) Little Village, and the south side. I grew up around a bunch of different gangs. I almost got caught up in that lifestyle, but luckily had the good sense to leave it alone. So I know what the signs are, and you better believe I call the police when I see punks hanging out on a corner, graffiti, anything at all suspicious, even blight. I won't stand for it. But it takes more than just one person to do that. I'm not going to move because I know of a gang in my (suburban) neighborhood. I'm not letting them Ba$t@rds run me out. Communities as a whole need to stand up to this garbage instead of letting them take over.

[junior]

thats sad,i hate gangs the dude was my friend and he did not deserve to die R.I.P rocky

[I MISS U ROKY]

FOR ANYBODY THAT DONT NOTHING ABOUT THIS SHOULDNT SAY ANYTHING I KNEW ROKY HE WAS A VERY KOOL PERSON AND IM TIRED OF PEOPLE KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE R.I.P ROKY WE'LL ALL BE MISSING YOU

[Dan-Chicago]

I MISS U ROKY wrote:

FOR ANYBODY THAT DONT NOTHING ABOUT THIS SHOULDNT SAY ANYTHING I KNEW ROKY HE WAS A VERY KOOL PERSON AND IM TIRED OF PEOPLE KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE R.I.P ROKY WE'LL ALL BE MISSING YOU

Don't get tired....Get mad and unite the residents of little village to get the gangs out. There are more of you then there are of them.

[OGL]

i dunno man this is messed up, i met rocky while i was a senior and he was a freshman in high school, i mean he was a little trouble maker, but one thing for sure is that he wasnt in gangs. he was a pretty cool dude. i cant believe this shit happened. i got a call one hour after he died and they told me, "hey roky died, he was shot" i was like wtf, man you gotta be kidding me. i live like a couple of block away from his house, i was working at that time thou. it seriously sucks, there should me more protection around there. luckily im still alive, but who knows, tomorrow it can be me, this neighborhood is crazy as hell, this is my second friend that died in a bad way, last friend was Edgar Mercado, who was murdered and thrown near a forest preserve by des plaines river. im losing friends fast and not losing them as losing them, but they are dying. I dunno. god shall punish them who kill for no reason, who dont know what the heck they are doing, just cause they in gangs., thats fucking messed up. Roky my man, we gonna miss you, RIP dude.

[OGL]

MaMaS wrote:

R.I.P Roky
you'll never be forgotten

dude you dont know what it is to live here, i started working when i was 12 in this same neighborhood. i live a couple of blocks away from roky, this neighborhood is messed u. i would actually look for jobs at that time. Ive had about 7 jobs in total since i was 12. and im not in gangs im actually in college. and i know roky personally, and he was not a damn gang banger.

[OGL]

lula2u2 wrote:

<quoted text> how nice for you. you lived in a home where you didn't have togo out and find work to help your family. this is not the reality for everyone. Instead, lets commend this young man for trying to find work to help his family. don;t be so quick to judge

dude you dont know what it is to live here, i started working when i was 12 in this same neighborhood. i live a couple of blocks away from roky, this neighborhood is messed u. i would actually look for jobs at that time. Ive had about 7 jobs in total since i was 12. and im not in gangs im actually in college. and i know roky personally, and he was not a damn gang banger.