The 14-year-old suspect has been charged as an adult in the shooting Wednesday outside Atlanta that killed four people and wounded nine. He is accused of using an assault-style rifle to kill two students and two teachers in the hallway outside his algebra classroom.

The same teenager was interviewed in May 2023 by a sheriff’s investigator from nearby Jackson County who received a tip from the FBI that the boy, then 13, “had possibly threatened to shoot up a middle school tomorrow.”

The tip came to the FBI from people in Australia and California who were concerned about comments made by a chat group user on the social media platform Discord, according to a Jackson County sheriff’s report obtained by The Associated Press.

The investigator urged the boy’s father to keep his firearms locked away and told him to keep his son out of school “until this matter could be resolved,” the report said. The boy’s last day before the summer break was a few days before that conversation.

The attack Thursday was the latest among dozens of school shootings across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut; Parkland, Florida; and Uvalde, Texas. The classroom killings have set off fervent debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to active-shooter drills. But there has been little change to national gun laws.

Classes were canceled Thursday at Apalachee High School, though some people came to pay respects by leaving flowers around the flagpole and kneeling in the grass with heads bowed. Among them was Linda Carter, who lives nearby. Though she has no children attending the school, Carter said the rampage left her angry and hurting.

“I’m upset, I’m crying constantly,” Carter said. “These kids shouldn’t have lost their lives. These parents, these adults, these teachers should not have lost their lives yesterday.”

When the suspect slipped out of class Wednesday, Lyela Sayarath figured her quiet classmate who recently transferred was skipping school again. But he returned later and wanted back into the room. Some students went to open the locked door but instead backed away.

“I’m guessing they saw something, but for some reason, they didn’t open the door,” Sayarath said.

The teen then turned the gun on people in a hallway, authorities said.

He has been charged in the deaths of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey.

The teen was to be taken Thursday to a regional youth detention facility.

When the teen was not allowed back into his classroom, Sayarath said she heard a barrage of gunshots.

“It was about 10 or 15 of them at once, back to back,” she said.

The math students fell to the floor and crawled around, looking for a safe corner to hide.

Two school resource officers encountered the shooter within minutes of a report that shots had been fired, Hosey said. The teen immediately surrendered and was taken into custody.

At least nine other people — eight students and one teacher at the school in Winder — were taken to hospitals. All were expected to survive, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said. Authorities were still looking into how the teen obtained the gun and got it into the school with about 1,900 students in a rapidly developing area on the edge of metro Atlanta’s ever-expanding sprawl.

“All the students that had to watch their teachers and their fellow classmates die, the ones that had to walk out of the school limping, that looked traumatized,” Sayarath said.

Kassidy Reed joined a steady stream of classmates seeking counseling Thursday at the school system offices. The 17-year-old senior said she struggled to sleep Wednesday night in the aftermath of the shootings.

“The first thing you wake up and think about is like, somebody lost the coach, somebody lost their dad, somebody lost their best friend,” Reed said.

Reed was taking a test Wednesday morning with a few others in a hallway when she heard gunshots just around a corner. A teacher across the hall opened a door so they could scramble inside a chemistry lab. Reed ducked under a table next to a classmate, whose cross necklace they both gripped as they prayed.

They were close enough to hear police order someone onto the ground, followed by what sounded a person being handcuffed. When officers escorted the lab students to safety, Reed said, she saw blood in the hallway and what looked like a disassembled firearm lying next to a body.

It was the 30th mass killing in the U.S. so far this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. At least 127 people have died in those killings, which are defined as events in which four or more people die within a 24-hour period, not including the killer — the same definition used by the FBI.

The teen had been interviewed after the FBI received anonymous tips in May 2023 about online threats to commit an unspecified school shooting, the agency said in a statement.

The FBI narrowed the threats down and referred to the case to the sheriff’s department in Jackson County, which is adjacent to Barrow County.

The sheriff’s office interviewed the then-13-year-old and his father, who said there were hunting guns in the house but the teen did not have unsupervised access to them. The teen also denied making any online threats.

The sheriff’s office alerted local schools for continued monitoring of the teen, but there was no probable cause for arrest or additional action, the FBI said.

Hosey said the state Division of Family and Children’s Services also had previous contact with the teen and will investigate whether that has any connection with the shooting. Local news outlets reported that the teen’s family home in Bethlehem, Georgia, was searched Wednesday.

On Wednesday evening, hundreds gathered at a park in downtown Winder for a candlelight vigil.

Christopher Vasquez, 15, said he attended to feel grounded and in a safe place. He was in band practice when the lockdown order was issued and hid with other students in a closet.

“Once we heard banging at the door and the SWAT (team) came to take us out, that’s when I knew that it was serious,” he said. “I just started shaking and crying.”

He finally settled down once outside the school. “I just was praying that everyone I love was safe,” he said.

The post The teen charged with killing 4 people at a Georgia high school denied prior online threats in 2023 appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — An investigation into a 16-year-old boy’s slaying remains open after the child was found dead 12 months ago in Coachella.

With a year gone by, investigators are once again asking the public to provide any information that might lead to Joseph Aroz’s killer.

“Extensive investigative efforts have been made over the past year, but the suspect in this incident has not been identified,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

At about 9:07 p.m. Aug. 20, 2023, Thermal Sheriff’s Station deputies were called to the 53500 block of Cesar Chavez Street. There they found Aroz. He had gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff’s office has maintained that Aroz was murdered. A possible motive in the case has not been disclosed.

The slaying occurred amid Tropical Storm Hilary, when officials were scrambling to rescue Coachella Valley residents from significant flooding and provide resources to victims whose homes were inundated with mud and water. Many desert roads were closed due to flooding and damage.

In the days following his death, Aroz’s family spoke to local media.

According to a KESQ report, Aroz was gunned down just outside his family’s home. A neighbor heard gunshots, but a suspect was never found.

The boy was one of eight children in his family, the news outlet reported.

A GoFundMe page that was launched to help pay for Aroz’s memorial and funeral expenses includes photos of a boy with short brown hair and brown eyes.

“… he was only 16 years old,” the page reads. “Jojo was loved by all of us, by so many … our world will never be the same.”

Investigators continue to seek answers for the family.

“The Riverside Sheriff’s Office Central Homicide Unit is requesting the public’s assistance in solving this case,” the agency said Tuesday.

Anyone with information who can help identify the individual(s) responsible for Aroz’s killing is asked to contact Investigator D. Brown or Investigator V. Magana at 951-955-2777 or by email. Information can also be submitted through the Sheriff’s Office Online Tip Form.

The post 1 Year After Boy’s Slaying, RivCo Investigators Still Seek His Killer appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

A Riverside jury deliberated nearly two days before finding Steven Daniel Carrillo, 24, of Riverside guilty of killing Derrion Thomas of Rialto in 2020.

Along with the murder count, jurors convicted Carrillo of attempted murder, special-circumstance allegations of killing for the benefit of a criminal street gang and perpetrating a hate crime, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

They acquitted him of one attempted murder charge.

Jurors started deliberations Wednesday morning, after the prosecution and defense delivered closing arguments Tuesday afternoon. The panel announced it had reached a verdict late Thursday afternoon.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jerry Yang scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 28 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Carrillo, who is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail, is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The defendant is a documented member of Riverside’s oldest street gang, prevalent in the area along the University Avenue corridor, authorities said.

In late October 2020, Carrillo was staying with fellow gang members in a room at the Motel 6 near the intersection of Iowa and University avenues, according to briefs filed by the District Attorney’s Office and the defense.

Staying in a room nearby were Sharon Mayweather, Isaiah Smith and Thomas, all related. On Oct. 24, Mayweather was released from the downtown Riverside jail, where she had been held for unspecified reasons, and she became intoxicated at the motel, according to court papers.

“She was hanging around Mr. Carrillo’s (black Jaguar) in the parking lot, and he told her to get away from his vehicle,” according to the defense.

There was a hostile exchange before she returned to her room.

Two days later, on the night of Oct. 26, Thomas and Smith were preparing to drive in the latter’s Saturn sedan to pick up food, and Mayweather was trailing behind when she encountered Carrillo in his car, leading to another confrontation, during which she told Smith and Thomas the defendant had threatened her. They doubted her claims and “ushered” her into the car, the defense said.

Prosecutors said the defendant was incensed, possibly because he had been publicly challenged by a woman in front of three juvenile gang members.

Although his Jaguar had been pointed in the direction opposite to where the victims were going, he turned around and pursued them eastbound on University, according to the prosecution’s brief.

Court papers state the victims tried to avoid further contact, racing through traffic lights until they reached the left turn lane to go into the Food4Less grocery store parking lot at University and Chicago avenues. Carrillo pulled alongside and shouted profanity-laced challenges, at which point Thomas pulled a semiautomatic handgun and “fired up to 11 rounds at Mr. Carrillo,” the defense said.

The Jaguar’s driver’s side window was blown out, but Carrillo and the youths with him were not hit. Smith tried to pull his own pistol out of his front pocket, but the trigger caught on his pants, and he shot himself in the right thigh, according to court documents.

Carrillo pulled his own 9mm pistol and fired into the Saturn, striking Thomas twice, including a fatal wound to the chest, according to the prosecution. Smith tried to flee when the shots were fired but crashed into a traffic sign. He stumbled out of the car and hobbled away to get help.

Mayweather was not injured. Thomas stepped out of the car and collapsed.

Carrillo fled the scene.

Thomas was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Smith underwent surgery to his leg and fully recovered.

Relying on security surveillance video from the motel and businesses along University, Riverside police detectives were able to identify the perpetrator, and an arrest warrant was served on him without incident two weeks later at a residence in the 2300 block of Candlestick Way in Perris.

Investigators seized his journal, in which he “bragged about the shooting,” according to the prosecution’s brief, which said he referred to the victims as “snails” and wrote that “there is a sort of war” between groups.

“The defendant noted he was proud he was able to show the little homies how to gang bang,” the brief said.

The defense blamed Mayweather for provoking the altercation, additionally asserting Carrillo was not the one who initiated violence that night.

The post Car-to-car shooting in Riverside leads to gang member’s murder conviction appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

SAN JACINTO, CA — A man accused of gunning down a 31-year-old San Jacinto woman and trying to kill her companion in a premeditated attack nearly seven years ago pleaded not guilty Friday to first-degree murder and other charges.

Daniel Antonio Cortez Acevedo, 27, of San Jacinto allegedly killed Anna Meza for undisclosed reasons in 2017.

Along with murder, Acevedo is charged with attempted murder, a special-circumstance allegation of lying in wait and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

The defendant was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Francisco Navarro, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for June 7 at the Banning Justice Center.

Acevedo is being held on $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Jesse Martinez said the identity of Meza’s alleged killer required a “lengthy investigation” by Central Homicide Unit detectives.

The victim was walking with a man identified in court documents only as “J.M.” in the 100 block of North Dillon Avenue, near Main Street, on the afternoon of Nov. 12, 2017, when Acevedo allegedly approached them and pulled a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol, opening fire, according to investigators and prosecutors.

Meza was shot to death in the street. J.M. was not wounded.

The assailant, then unknown, fled the scene.

Investigators initially had little information on the circumstances and asked for the public’s assistance, but few clues surfaced.

Martinez did not disclose what detectives uncovered that finally led them to Acevedo, or why he allegedly targeted the victims.

He was taken into custody without incident following a traffic stop in San Jacinto on April 12.

Court records show the defendant has a prior misdemeanor conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm.

The post RivCo Cold Case: Suspected Killer Answers Charges 6 Years Later appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The second annual National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms(link is external and opens in a new window)—the nation’s only scientific conference of its kind—showcased the latest research findings in a field that has seen renewed funding in recent years. Over 700 people representing more than 200 institutions attended in-person and could choose from hundreds of presentations across 20 scientific disciplines. Among these were presentations by faculty and students from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Teachers College.

The conference was organized by the new Research Society for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms(link is external and opens in a new window). Sonali Rajan, associate professor in the Department of Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology at Teachers College and adjunct professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, is the inaugural president of the Society and led this year’s conference. Charles Branas, chair of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman, serves on the new society’s board and co-led last year’s conference. Seventeen organizations, from major foundations to universities and healthcare systems,  sponsored this November’s conference, including Columbia SURGE (Scientific Union for the Reduction of Gun Violence)(link is external and opens in a new window).

Columbia researchers presented on a variety of topics, including a strategy to reduce access to adolescent means of suicide, the effects of gun violence on attention and learning, the effects of historical structural racism on community firearm violence; housing instability and firearm violence; adverse childhood experiences and violent injury; public housing and firearm violence; heatwaves and firearm violence; street construction projects and firearm violence; and the experiences of Black caregivers of violently injured men.

Ariana Gobaud, a pre-doctoral fellow in the Department of Epidemiology, received the conference’s Impact Award for her research on historical structural racism and community firearm violence in 500 US cities. She says of winning the award, “It is not only a recognition of my research but also a reflection of the collective efforts in the field of firearm violence research. I am proud to build on the important work of researchers who have been exploring the significant impact of structural racism in this area. I’m excited to continue this journey, pushing the boundaries of our understanding and developing strategies that can make a real difference in communities affected by firearm violence.”

Over three dozen faculty across seven Columbia schools and colleges came together in 2020 to form the Columbia SURGE with a vision that “more science means less violence” and to capitalize on the university’s convening power in generating new science and scientists, new resources and recognition, and transformative solutions.  As a key member of SURGE, Sonali Rajan leads the Research Society for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms, which was created at the inaugural National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms last year. The Society aims to promote and advance scientific research on firearm-related harm prevention across the U.S. and internationally.

Coinciding with the conference, Rajan met with the editorial board of the Washington Post, which on November 3 published an editorial titled, “Even Gun Rights Zealots Might Support These Innovative Ways to Save Lives(link is external and opens in a new window).” The editorial highlights a series of innovative solutions presented at the conference that have the potential to become policy.  It concludes, “The renewal of federal funds for firearms research is worth celebrating in itself. The answers that research provides, meanwhile, could be the starting point for meaningful action that doesn’t determine who can own a gun or where they can bring it. Policymakers shouldn’t discount these steps because they’re modest. They should take them.”

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Conference Highlights Latest Findings on Gun Violence Prevention appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

gov.ca.gov | Contributed

Governor Gavin Newsom, on June 30th, signed legislation to take on the gun industry and get more guns off California streets. Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children in the U.S.

“From our schools to our parks to our homes, our kids deserve to be safe – in California, we’re making that a reality. As the Supreme Court rolls back important gun safety protections and states across the country treat gun violence as inevitable, California is doubling down on commonsense gun safety measures that save lives,” said Governor Newsom. “The lives of our kids are at stake and we’re putting everything on the table to respond to this crisis.”

The legislation signed Thursday directly targets the gun lobby and manufacturers that are preying on our children.

Governor Newsom signed AB 2571, prohibiting marketing of firearms to minors following recent efforts by the gun industry to appeal to minors, like Wee 1 Tactical advertising the sale of a JR-15, an AR-15 meant for kids, complete with cartoon child skulls with pacifiers.

“Guns are not toys – they are deadly weapons,” said Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda). “California has some of the strongest gun laws in the country and it is unconscionable that we still allow advertising weapons of war to our children. Our kids have a right to live long, happy lives, free of gun violence.”

Also Thursday, the Governor signed AB 1621, which further restricts ghost guns – firearms that are intentionally made untraceable – as well as the parts used to build them. Ghost guns have been called an “epidemic” by the Los Angeles Police Department, contributing to more than 100 violent crimes in Los Angeles last year alone.

“Alarmingly, we are finding that more and more, no region or demographic is exempt from gun violence – our hospitals, grocery stores, schools, and even places of worship, are no longer safe. The proliferation of ghost guns, which are intentionally untraceable weapons to evade law enforcement, has only worsened the issue,” said Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson). “Following the signing of AB 1621 into law, I applaud Governor Gavin Newsom for his leadership and unwavering commitment to eradicate the rampant wildfire of gun violence currently ravaging our streets and safe-havens.”

Earlier this month, Governor Newsom announced a record $156 million in gun violence prevention grants provided as part of the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program (CalVIP). The funding will support 79 cities and nonprofit organizations that are implementing anti-violence programs suited to the unique needs of their local communities.

California’s gun safety policies save lives and provide a national model for other states to follow. According to the Giffords Law Center, in 2021, California was ranked as the top state in the nation for gun safety. As California strengthened its gun laws, the state saw a gun death rate 37 percent lower than the national average. Meanwhile, other states such as Florida and Texas, with lax gun regulations, saw double-digit increases in the rate of gun deaths. As a result of the actions taken by California, the state has cut its gun death rate in half and Californians are 25 percent less likely to die in a mass shooting compared to people in other states.

A recent study from the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis found that California’s red flag law was used to stop 58 threatened mass shootings.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Governor Newsom Takes Action to Further Restrict Ghost Guns and Protect California Kids from Gun Violence appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The shooting happened at the corner of East 92nd Street in South-Central Avenue late Saturday night. LAPD officers were seen attempting to revive James Vargas at the scene of the crime.

James Vargas was out with his wife and two children getting food when he was approached by two men in a car who got out of the vehicle and shot him, according to witness reports.

The two suspects have been described as two Hispanic males who fled the scene in a green Tahoe.

The LAPD continues to investigate the incident and has asked the public to contact the LAPD homicide division if they know anything about the two suspects.

Newsweek contacted LAPD and James Vargas’ family for comment.

A man who claimed to have witnessed the shooting told Fox 11: “They were getting food at this place right here. Then they drove up on him asking where are you from, then they are going to just jump out and smoke him?” He was then asked whether James Vargas replied to this question, the witness replied: “He didn’t have a chance to say anything.”

James Vargas’ family have spoken out, demanding justice for his killing and expressed their anguish at the situation.

Billy Vargas, James Vargas’ brother said: “My brother, my friend, I am never going to see again or grow old together.” He then broke down in tears as he reflected on the incident.

He added that his brother was a restaurant manager and was a dedicated husband and father.

Billy Vargas described his brother’s character: “My brother is not the confrontational type, he was not even the person to pick a fight over anyone.”

Manuel Rivero, James Vargas’ brother-in-law, also praised his character and highlighted the shocking nature of the killing.

He said: “For someone to come up to him and ask him where he is from and not even give him a chance to answer and just take his life away, it is really unfair.

Kathyuska Vargas, James Vargas’ sister added: “He was always really kind and happy. He always had a bunch of life in him, he was never one to express anger or be mean to anybody.”

James Vargas’ family has set up a GoFundMe account in order to pay for funeral expenses. The family also suffered the passing of James’ father earlier in the year.

James’ brother closed with a heartfelt message to those listening about the importance of family.

He said: “Forget the phones, forget the social media, go out and see your family. Give your family a hug, talk to them and love each other.”

GERRARD KAONGA | Contributed

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Restaurant Manager Shot to Death in Front of Wife and Children in California appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Gun violence is killing an increasing number of American children, from toddlers caught in crossfires to teenagers gunned down in turf wars, drug squabbles or for posting the wrong thing on social media.

Shootings involving children and teenagers have been on the rise in recent years, and 2021 is no exception. Experts say idleness caused by the COVID-19 pandemic shares the blame with easy access to guns and disputes that too often end with gunfire.

LeGend Taliferro, a 4-year-old boy who loved dinosaurs and basketball, was sleeping on the floor in an apartment in Kansas City, Missouri, when he was shot on June 29, 2020. A man who had been involved in a dispute with LeGend’s father is awaiting trial for second-degree murder. A probable cause statement said the suspected shooter had been trying to find LeGend’s dad after that altercation.

“Why do we have to resort to violence because we’re mad?” LeGend’s mother, Charron Powell, asks. “What are other ways we can figure out an issue without harming somebody?”

The U.S. saw 991 gun violence deaths among people 17 or younger in 2019, according to the website Gun Violence Archive, which tracks shootings from more than 7,500 law enforcement, media, government and commercial sources. That number spiked to 1,375 in 2020 and this year is on pace to be worse. Through Monday, shootings had claimed 1,179 young lives and left 3,292 youths injured.

FBI data backs that up. The agency released a report on Sept. 28 showing homicides in the U.S. increased nearly 30% in 2020, and homicides among people ages 19 and younger rose more than 21%.

Horror stories abound.

In St. Louis, 9-year-old Caion Greene died in March when someone opened fire on his family’s car. A 17-year-old is charged in the crime. Police and prosecutors have declined to discuss a motive or say what prompted the shooting.

Two Minneapolis children were gunned down in May. Nine-year-old Trinity Ottoson-Smith was shot in the head while jumping on a trampoline. Police said she was the unintended victim of a bullet meant for someone else. No arrests have been made. Six-year-old Aniya Allen was shot when her mother drove her car through a gun battle.

On Oct. 2 in Milwaukee, an 11-year-old girl was killed and a 5-year-old girl was injured when someone fired into their family’s car from another vehicle. Police have not said if they know of a motive and are seeking information from the public.

More often, the victims are teenagers.

Jamari Williams and Kentrell McNeal, both 15-year-old students at Simeon Career Academy High School in Chicago, were killed in separate shootings on Sept. 21. No arrests have been made and police declined to speculate on what led to the shootings.

At Philadelphia’s Simon Gratz High School Mastery Charter, five students were killed and nine others were shot or shot at during the last school year. Just weeks into the new school year, two students and a recent graduate have been killed. The school offers a space for memorials to slain students, often helps with funeral expenses and offers counseling services.

“We have gotten exceptionally good at knowing what to do, and how to offer help when a young person loses their life … we have gotten really good at that,” principal Le’Yondo Dunn said.

A March report from the Children’s Defense Fund found that child and teen shooting deaths reached a 19-year high in 2017 and have remained elevated. Black children and teenagers were four times more likely than whites to be fatally shot.

The fund’s president and CEO, the Rev. Starsky Wilson, said a spike in gun sales during the pandemic has made things worse.

“There are more guns available on the street and there are folks with less opportunity to engage in productive activity,” Wilson said. “A combination of those two is really challenging.”

Social media also plays a role, experts say. A posted insult can turn quickly into retaliation, said Jason Smith, a homicide division captain in Philadelphia.

“Social media makes it so easy to throw that disrespect,” Smith said. “They’re doing it in real time.”

Dr. Lindsay Clukies, an emergency room doctor at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, said she and her staff often see repeat victims.

“It’s not uncommon that we see a child with a big scar and we say, ‘What happened?’ and they say, ‘Oh, I was shot once before,'” Clukies said.

“It’s so frustrating as a medical provider because we obviously pride ourselves in taking amazing care of kids and saving lives and fixing lives, but these injuries are preventable,” Clukies said. “There’s nothing that compares to having to tell a parent that their child passed away from a completely preventable thing.”

The Justice Department sought to address the violence through “Operation Legend,” named for LeGend Taliferro. His mother takes comfort in the fact that her son’s death helped spur a national effort that resulted in hundreds of arrests. Still, the pain never goes away.

“It’s really a mental battle to get through every day,” Powell said. “It’s really difficult to know he’s not here and I won’t hear his voice.”

On the day before Father’s Day last year, someone fired shots at a group of boys on the front porch of a Chicago home. The bullet missed the boys but pierced a window into the dining room where 13-year-old Amaria Jones was showing her mom a dance routine she was perfecting for TikTok.

The bullet shattered a TV and everyone scattered for safety. When Amaria’s mother returned, she found her daughter on the floor, holding her wounded neck and trying to call out, “Mom.” Amaria was pronounced dead at a hospital. No arrests have been made.

“I grew up in this neighborhood and I’ve been around a lot of gun violence,” Mercedes Jones, Amaria’s 28-year-old sister, said. “I’ve ducked bullets flying near my head. I’m used to that. Not Amaria. She didn’t hang out like me. She didn’t know that lifestyle.”

While small children are often caught in the crossfire, teenagers are most commonly targeted — often by other teenagers — in drive-by shootings on interstate highways or gunned down in broad daylight on urban streets.

Shaquille Barbour of Philadelphia was killed June 6, a week before his high school graduation — shot 13 times as he rode his bike home from a corner store. No arrests have been made, and police aren’t offering a motive.

His father, Joseph Barbour, still struggles to hold back the anger.

“I don’t think people know how hard it is, not to want to retaliate,” he said. “These kids are on the street, and it feels like they’re hunters. They brag and taunt people after they kill someone, too.”

Smith, the Philadelphia detective, said the shootings are as brutal as they are brazen.

“They will empty an entire magazine into someone’s torso or their head,” he said. “They call it walking a person down. They shoot a person and incapacitate them … then walk them down, walk until they are standing over them and unload their firearm into that individual.”

Efforts and ideas to slow the violence are varied.

Wilson, of the Children’s Defense Fund, suggested a threefold strategy: Adopt new gun legislation to strengthen background checks and incentivize safe storage of weapons; invest in social services such as after-school programs and mental health support for young people; and create more economic opportunity, including summer jobs.

Studies have shown that victims of violence are at an elevated risk of becoming violent themselves. So St. Louis Children’s Hospital developed its Victims of Violence program that seeks to reduce recidivism by pairing surviving shooting victims with mentors and offering counseling, mediation and a link to social service agencies.

In Philadelphia, Chief Inspector Frank Vanore said police also monitor social media and if they’re aware of a feud, a team of officers and community leaders meet with those involved in the dispute.

A pilot program this year at Philadelphia’s Simon Gratz high will provide intensive services to students in danger of becoming a victim — or a perpetrator — of gun violence.

“We are going to have capacity to get about 60 students into the program but with the number of students we’ve lost, the amount of violence and guns that Philadelphia is seeing, we know there will be more students who need this program than we can get in,” Dunn said. “We know it.”

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Gun violence claiming more lives of American teens, children appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.