The Gangland Murder of a 20 Month Old Rashaad Walker, Jr

It happened again on the mean inner city streets of Syracuse, New York. Little 20 month old Rashaad Walker, Jr., strapped in his car seat in the rear of a minivan with his 19 year old father and the father’s 17 year old girlfriend, was shot to death on a Sunday afternoon.  

The shooting death is yet another reminder of the violence that surrounds gangs and their apparent lack of conscious, guilt or moral fiber. These gangs have no sense of decency and their only code of honor is killing, shooting, robbing, threatening or just plain terrorizing and entire area of a city that is falling victim to their grasp of power. “No,” Rashaad, Jr. wasn’t the intended target. Rather, it was Rashaad, Sr. a 19 year old gang member of the 110 Gang. It was an act of revenge for a shooting that had wounded two other opposing gang members just a couple of nights prior. Syracuse police have arrested and charged 21 year old Saquan Evans, a member of the Bricktown Gang with the toddler’s murder.

According to 2008 data the city of Syracuse has a population of approximately 138,500, with a median household income of $30,879 and roughly 30% of the residents live in poverty. As you exit Interstate 81 at Adams Street you unwittingly are entering the turf of the Bricktown Gang. Their area of control covers a very large section of the south side almost touching downtown Syracuse proper. The lower south side is turf to the 110 Gang and their area involves several city blocks, both commercial and residential. People live in constant fear in these two areas. Children can’t play outside and no one is immune from stray bullets hitting their residences.

Then on Thursday of this week there was another senseless death at the hands of a gang style murder. A local high school graduate with a stellar record in basketball and football fell victim to a drive-by shooting as he rode in a car on Interstate 81 with some known gang members. Kihary Blue age 19 was not a member of a gang. Rather, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kihary was planning on attending a college near Rochester, New York in January. His death and the wounding of a passenger in the car with him is what prompted the shooting death of Rashaad Walker, Jr. 

Two gangs and two deaths within the course of one week. On Halloween four people were shot while trick or treating. The following week saw four more 17 to 20 year olds injured during a shooting while they were playing cards. A week later a neighborhood was holding an anti violence rally when more gunshots rang out.

When, where and how do you stop this mentality of brutality? I don’t know. I’m not a psychologist, criminologist or sociologist. I’m simply a writer and a story teller and I’m telling all who will listen that drastic changes need to be made.