Tomorrow they are laying the young man who was killed at the Community Center party to rest. The article said that he was a young man with dreams of opening his own business someday. Now, because somebody had a gun, those dreams will never come to pass.
There are still no answers as to what happened and why, only rumors. There were well over a hundred people at this party yet no one has come forth to say who fired the shots. It may very well be that no one will, that revenge will be taken at another time. Apparently Black Excellence has a reputation for attracting violent-minded individuals to their events. A Google search raised some very disturbing associations--"from murder to excellence" being one. The fact that they told officials that they would be providing their own security says a lot in my opinion and should have raised red flags right there. I've participated in many an event at the Community Center and cannot recall one time that security was required. The question that should have been asked was "WHY are you providing security? Are you expecting trouble?"
Apparently it seems that the shooter and/or his accomplice slipped around the back and entered through the kitchen door. Where security WASN'T watching. He or they may have had a friend who was already inside who let them in. Once inside all hell broke out. There is speculation that the man who was beaten was beaten precisely because he was one of the accomplices and the crowd was angry because of the shooting. The story also goes that the DJ said that he would have broken the fight up but he was afraid for his own life. One thing is sure, the people who were there and witnessed it are not talking to either the news media or law enforcement. What they may be saying on Twitter or elsewhere is anyone's guess.
What struck me as particularly tragic and ironic is that while the various participants were preparing for what many no doubt saw as a college dance we were giving a performance at the Community theater that included a "peace skit" from the 1960's. While the children were gathered at the front of the stage singing "Let There Be Peace on Earth and Let It Begin With Me" an unknown person was tucking a gun into his belt and heading out to take a life. Back in the Sixties we really thought we could change the world. How naive we were!
There are still no answers as to what happened and why, only rumors. There were well over a hundred people at this party yet no one has come forth to say who fired the shots. It may very well be that no one will, that revenge will be taken at another time. Apparently Black Excellence has a reputation for attracting violent-minded individuals to their events. A Google search raised some very disturbing associations--"from murder to excellence" being one. The fact that they told officials that they would be providing their own security says a lot in my opinion and should have raised red flags right there. I've participated in many an event at the Community Center and cannot recall one time that security was required. The question that should have been asked was "WHY are you providing security? Are you expecting trouble?"
Apparently it seems that the shooter and/or his accomplice slipped around the back and entered through the kitchen door. Where security WASN'T watching. He or they may have had a friend who was already inside who let them in. Once inside all hell broke out. There is speculation that the man who was beaten was beaten precisely because he was one of the accomplices and the crowd was angry because of the shooting. The story also goes that the DJ said that he would have broken the fight up but he was afraid for his own life. One thing is sure, the people who were there and witnessed it are not talking to either the news media or law enforcement. What they may be saying on Twitter or elsewhere is anyone's guess.
What struck me as particularly tragic and ironic is that while the various participants were preparing for what many no doubt saw as a college dance we were giving a performance at the Community theater that included a "peace skit" from the 1960's. While the children were gathered at the front of the stage singing "Let There Be Peace on Earth and Let It Begin With Me" an unknown person was tucking a gun into his belt and heading out to take a life. Back in the Sixties we really thought we could change the world. How naive we were!
