WZZM13 - Funeral for Darryl Thompkins

" Darryl D. Thompkins, a 19 year old resident of Grand Rapids, will be laid to rest Friday after being killed in a shooting near Downtown Grand Rapids Monday.

[Jessie]

It's a terrible TRAGEDY that in our world today we result to weapons if there is a disagreement and look who has to pay...usually the innocent and the CHILDREN. If we cannot stop killing off eachother then what kind of example our we setting for OUR children who indeed one day will take care of us? Two wronds DO NOT make a right. This is a very difficult time but please to not seek retaliation. The guilty will receive their punishment whether it be in jail or in Hell...JUSTICE WILL BE SERVE! Amen.

[Same Old Story]

Great guy, takes care of his kids, going to school, making a great life for his family. It appears you have this funeral confused with the one for one of the leaders of the Bemis Boys gang, as admitted by his cousin. Police unsure if it was a gang related shooting and yet a large Police presence is required and Paul Mayhue calls for no violence and retaliation at the funeral.
Once again "gun" violence is the problem. Same old story, same old result, same bury their head in the sand from community "leaders" and authorities. Don't tackle the gang problem head on. Might step on somebodys toes.

[its me]

yall wrong. why do you have to put that he was a poor student at central high we are talking about now and if he did have children out of wedlock he's taking care of them yall some haters. yall need to take note into jessie coment

[The Constitution]

This is interesting. Supposedly he was "getting out of that lifestyle", and had been out of the gang scene for months. Yet the article says that a gang website is calling for retaliation. Hmm. Why would they do that for a non-member?

[truth]

Do you think when I die I will get a police escort??? No , no I will not.

its me wrote:

yall wrong. why do you have to put that he was a poor student at central high we are talking about now and if he did have children out of wedlock he's taking care of them yall some haters. yall need to take note into jessie coment

[Ron]

its me wrote:

yall wrong. why do you have to put that he was a poor student at central high we are talking about now and if he did have children out of wedlock he's taking care of them yall some haters. yall need to take note into jessie coment

Stealing drugs is not the way to take care of them-How was he taking care of them-where did he work-what was he going to do with his life-yeah he didn't even finish the season at GRCC! Getting his life back on track-NOT! Ask the Grand Rapids Public School Security staff why he is not allowed in any Grand Rapids building or sporting event.

[khknights]

What the heck was he and the mother of the kids doing out at that time of night? They should be home!
Not the place to be at that hour of the night.

[LMNOP]

19 IN A BAR. SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE

[Uncle Jed]

truth wrote:

Do you think when I die I will get a police escort??? No , no I will not. <quoted text>

Police at a gang bangers funeral. This would be funny if it weren’t so disgusting. Where were the police when this kid was shot? Where was Mayhue’s great concern before this happened? I can promise you that 99.999% of any of the population in this city will not warrant a police presence, yet our tax dollars are being spent to keep the peace because a gang banger was killed. Mayhue wanted the protection so it should be up to him to make sure that the city is reimbursed.

[mariah]

Gotta love the drama-right? They do.

[politically incorrect]

The guy already had a mug shot...enough said!!!

[Ron]

politically incorrect wrote:

The guy already had a mug shot...enough said!!!

Thank-you!!!!

[independent]

How the heck did he even get into the bar? I am pretty sure it's 21 and older there. Oh and nice friggen mug shot of the "good boy" with two baby mamas at the ripe age of 19. I am sick of this crap and the liberal media making this gang banger into this pious young man. Oh, and he wasn't even raised by his own mama either, so really how do you turn out decent starting out like that?

[The Constitution]

Well, the fact that he was raised by an Aunt and Grandmother (I think) wasn't his fault. And I'm sure they did the best they could.

But the possible lack of a strong male influence in his life (a daddy, for example) might have inspired him to try to fill that void by joining a gang.

[Ryan]

Ron wrote:

<quoted text>
I guess according to some that is what good kids do-not when I was young-if I would have been out that late when I was 19 and going to GRCC I would have been in huge trouble-as in not going out for a really, really long time.

I'm assuming this was a long time ago? With over baring parents? If it's bad to go to the bar while in college or of college age, throw every college age kid in jail.

[hmmmmmmm]

Ryan
NO, not a long time ago.... some of us were raised to respect our parents and their wishes. When you live in their home and eat their food, respect is the least you can give.
People in college are not all there to party. The larger number are in college to get an education and unlike high school the expectations are high and require quite a bit more study time, leaving little or no time for the bar scene.
In college the instructor does his job and if you do yours... great, if not .... well he doesn't care...he will be paid whether you pass or not. They are not there to be your buddy or hold your hand throug the scary parts... If you don't put in the time then the blame only lies on you.

This whole situation with the young boy is about choices. He chose to be in what he knew to be a dangerous situation. Being gang affiliated he knew the possiblilities better than the average college student.

[Ryan]

That's funny, my parent's wishes were always for me to be happy and be the best i can be. I did all that, went to college, and went to the bar (like most college students). There is a difference between respect and making a puppet out of your children. At some point in a child's life you have to let them go out and make their own decisions, good and bad. Obviously he made a few bad ones and they cost him, but attending a teen night at a bar wasn't one of them and probably didn't contribute to him being shot. If someone wants to get you they'll get you, not matter if you're sitting in your over protective parent's living room or if you're at the bar.

[frankie]

I agree with Ryan. Sundays at Brickhouse bar was Hip Hop Night, and you only had to be 18 and up to enter. Its summer time, so why would it be wrong for someone to go out and have some fun. when you turn 18, you are at that point a legal adult. I am sorry for poster, Hmmmmmm because his/her parents obviously still controls his/her life well into adulthood. I just wish everyone would let Darryl rest in peace. Everone makes bad decisions, but that doesn't give us the right to badmouth the dead!

[hmmmmmmm]

frankie wrote:

I agree with Ryan. Sundays at Brickhouse bar was Hip Hop Night, and you only had to be 18 and up to enter. Its summer time, so why would it be wrong for someone to go out and have some fun. when you turn 18, you are at that point a legal adult. I am sorry for poster, Hmmmmmm because his/her parents obviously still controls his/her life well into adulthood. I just wish everyone would let Darryl rest in peace. Everone makes bad decisions, but that doesn't give us the right to badmouth the dead!

you missed the point.... being gang affiliated he knew better than you, the risks. Information in gangs runs as fast if not faster than the internet.

[hmmmmmmm]

I think older teens need a place to gather in good fun and spirit. But is a bar really a good place for this? Just a question.