Build a strong community to fight crime
A double shooting. One man dead, one boy in critical. Shot sitting in their car outside their home. It sounds like a big-city crime scene, or maybe a script from “The Wire.”
But it’s not a big-city story. It’s a homicide in the middle of Milton.
A family that might have been preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving is instead grieving for a son who by all accounts was energetic and full of life. They are gathered at a hospital, hoping a 14-year-old boy will somehow pull through.
The death of a son at age 20 is more tragedy than any family should bear as it prays for a second child, only 14, to recover.
State police released few details about this case; they are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call a tip line.
But unless a person was watching from a window, it’s difficult to know how anyone would have seen anything at 3 a.m. In the rain.
Do police believe a car left the scene? Have they recovered any bullets? Do they have any idea what kind of weapon was used?
These questions recall the double murder that took place nearly a year ago, when two Milton-area men, not much older than the man in this recent shooting, were gunned down inside a home near Milton. Police released few details but asked anyone with information to call a tip line.
If they’ve made any progress on those homicides, it has not been made public.
Maybe citizens don’t report information, even anonymously, because they fear the criminals. Or maybe they fear any sort of involvement with police.
It could also be that police do not release enough information for people to realize they saw something important.
Whatever the reason, if criminals can shoot a 14-year-old child in a car outside his own home, who among us can feel safe?
Our prayer for Thanksgiving is that the people in each of our communities will come together to build bonds so strong they leave no room for criminals to continue to operate, while giving every one of our children hope for a bright future they can be thankful for.
