Police: 8 youths confess in Milwaukee death
Last week, it was a mother brutally beating her 4-year-old child. This week, it's mob violence leading to murder- except that in this case, the mob is comprised entirely of children. Does anyone else feel the temptation to give up on humanity right about now??
Police Chief Arthur Jones said police are recommending the state charge most if not all of the 16, who range in age from 10 to 18, with first-degree intentional homicide. The district attorney has not yet decided on whether to try them as adults.
The handyman, Charlie Young Jr., 36, died of his injuries Tuesday night. He had been in critical condition since he was assaulted Sunday night.
The beating happened in a northside neighborhood around 11 p.m. Sunday after a 10-year-old boy was encouraged by a friend to throw an egg at Young, who was walking by, and hit him in the shoulder, Jones said.
Young grabbed the boy's 14-year-old friend and punched him in the mouth, knocking out a tooth, Jones said.
Authorities said another boy then hit Young over the head with a baby stroller. The 14-year-old called for more help and more than a dozen other youths -- all male -- began chasing Young, authorities said.
The group caught him on the porch of a nearby house where they beat him with baseball bats, shovels, broom handles, a tree limb, a folding chair, a plastic milk crate and a rake, Jones said.
According to a 40-page police report, the 10-year-old told police he hit Young four times with a two-foot long tree limb -- twice in the back and twice on the legs.
Another assailant said he hit the victim four times with the metal end of the shovel while Young was lying on his side -- striking the back of his head, his chest, back and legs -- while one of his companions was stomping on his head, the police report said.
Interestingly, there has been nary a word uttered (at least that I've heard) about where any of the parents were at the time this attack happened. Should we assume that negligence and lack of involvement on the part of the parents played a role in this brutal attack. How can we not?
