ironmonk Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 [b]9-year-old accused of slaying playmate with steak knife in Brooklyn[/b] By TOM HAYS Associated Press Writer May 31, 2005, 8:14 PM EDT NEW YORK -- It began as child's play: a tug of war between two young girls over a rubber ball at a Memorial Day gathering in Brooklyn. But when one of the girls reached for a steak knife, the holiday turned to tragedy. The 9-year-old _ a skinny fourth-grader identified by the city only as Shanice K. to protect her identity _ was in custody on Tuesday, accused of stabbing her playmate to death. A Family Court judge ordered her detained until a hearing on Thursday, when she's expected to be charged with manslaughter. At a brief hearing, Shanice at first gazed around impassively. But her eyes welled up with tears as her mother hugged her and began weeping uncontrollably, saying, "Oh, my baby." The mother left the courthouse without speaking to reporters. Defense attorney Nicole Barnum declined to discuss the specifics of the case, calling it "a tragedy for both families." Police alleged Shanice confessed shortly after the stabbing. They also said they could not remember a younger suspect being arrested for a killing in the city. The girl and the victim, Queen Washington, 11, were described as close friends. Queen's grieving family members told reporters gathered outside her home on Monday that the fifth-grader was a straight-A student who loved books, dancing and playing double Dutch jump rope. She was the "star of the family," said her grandfather, Earl Washington. "She was going places." Relatives said the girls' mothers were best friends and Queen had been invited to Shanice's home in the East New York section for a Memorial Day barbecue. The girls were playing together when Shanice's mother stepped out of her apartment to borrow something from a neighbor, police said. By the time the mother returned, her daughter had plunged the steak knife into Queen's chest, police said. Queen stumbled into the hallway and collapsed. A series of panicked 911 calls followed. Joyce Porter, Queen's grandmother, said the girl's mother had called her to tell her what had happened. "She told me, `Queen is dead,"' Porter said. "It was over a ball." A friend of Shanice's family who was at court on Tuesday to support the mother denied reports that the girl had a troubled past. "She has no history of violence," said the woman, who gave her name as Shirley. John Jay College of Criminal Justice forensic psychology professor Louis Schleshinger said several children a year kill people nationwide. "It's very rare, but it does occur, and it has always occurred," he said. According to FBI national crime statistics available online, a dozen children aged 9 to 12 committed murders in 2003 and 26 killed people in 2002. In 2001, Lionel Tate, 14, became the youngest person in modern U.S. history to be sentenced to life in prison, after being convicted of killing 6-year-old Tiffany Eunick in Florida. He was 12 at the time of the killing in 1999. He won a new trial on appeal and went free in January 2004 under a deal that placed him under house arrest for a year followed by probation for 10 years. Now 18, he was arrested May 23 on charges of holding up a pizza delivery man at gunpoint. ------------------------------------ No God = no wrong. We can thank those who took God out of the schools. God Bless, ironmonk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil bull 04 Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 this is really sad. it is true that this is what happens when you take God out of schools. I'm gad i went to a christian school even if it was one that was lutheran....eww Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qoheleth Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 [quote name='lil bull 04' date='May 31 2005, 10:44 PM'] this is really sad. it is true that this is what happens when you take God out of schools. [/quote] It's not just that. It's also when children are raised in broken homes, and surrounded by a culture (esp. in the cities) that condones, even glorifies, street violence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qoheleth Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 (edited) sorry double post Edited June 1, 2005 by Qoheleth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 my mom told me about this in the news.... its sad but when you have music glorifying killing, movies showing it and games roleplaying it--you gotta stop and ask yourself what is it teaching to the children? it becomes a thought that could easily become action......and deadly this is soo sad....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonSlayer Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 Wow, that's shocking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phazzan Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 Erm... what's God got to do with it? Statistics show the murder rate is much higher in many "Catholic" countries, i.e. Brazil, Mexico than it is in America. I have a different idea, you can keep God in school and things like this are still gonna happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmonk Posted June 1, 2005 Author Share Posted June 1, 2005 [quote name='Phazzan' date='Jun 1 2005, 08:29 AM'] Erm... what's God got to do with it? Statistics show the murder rate is much higher in many "Catholic" countries, i.e. Brazil, Mexico than it is in America. I have a different idea, you can keep God in school and things like this are still gonna happen. [/quote] I would hardly call Brazil a Catholic country. Carinival... mistreatment of women... etc... I've never heard of it being Catholic, but I could be wrong. Do they actually teach Christianity in the schools? God Bless, ironmonk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Didacus Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 I feel very strongly for both families. People, please do not be too quick to judge, and judge not too harshly. My 10 year old boy got suspended from school about two months ago for bringing a knife to school and threatening another boy's life. We are working through it, but believe me its not easy. Its a long story, where the other boy had bullied my son for several years until finally one day he had enough. and for those of you who are quick to judge, and bring about statistics to prove points... here is our familie's statistic if you will: Both parents are catholic, born and raised. Son goes to catholic school, and yes they do preach catholic values. We practise our faith, we go to church. All our children are baptised, our son goes to communion. My son had no serious previous incidents. So go ahead, make a judgment, and put my family in a column of your statitics, see what good that will do anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 Prayers for you son, Didacus. Bullying is nasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iggy Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 can i have a hug? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Didacus Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 [quote name='iggy' date='Jun 1 2005, 10:03 AM']can i have a hug?[/quote] Nice... your sarcasm is very much appreciated. [font="Arial"]Many thanks for your thoughts and prayers homeschool...[/font] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmonk Posted June 1, 2005 Author Share Posted June 1, 2005 [quote name='Didacus' date='Jun 1 2005, 09:34 AM'] I feel very strongly for both families. People, please do not be too quick to judge, and judge not too harshly. My 10 year old boy got suspended from school about two months ago for bringing a knife to school and threatening another boy's life. We are working through it, but believe me its not easy. Its a long story, where the other boy had bullied my son for several years until finally one day he had enough. and for those of you who are quick to judge, and bring about statistics to prove points... here is our familie's statistic if you will: Both parents are catholic, born and raised. Son goes to catholic school, and yes they do preach catholic values. We practise our faith, we go to church. All our children are baptised, our son goes to communion. My son had no serious previous incidents. So go ahead, make a judgment, and put my family in a column of your statitics, see what good that will do anyone. [/quote] I don't think that we are judging the kids at all bro. I think having enough from a bully is another issue, still wrong, but not as bad as flipping out over a game. Granted, we don't know the whole story... but my intent with this is that the occurance is far to common in today's times. There are understandable reasons sometimes, but in most of the cases, I believe it's due to the "programming" of our children from the media (by media I mean; games, tv, movies, etc...). Also, another problem I think is the move to teaching kids not to fight instead of teaching kids to defend themselves properly. As a child I was bullied by two brothers, my father taught me to fight, after I defended myself against one of them, I was no longer bothered by either. Kids today who are taught not to fight, when they can't take anymore, they resort to all they know from watching the media. My father always told me never to start a fight, but be ready to help those who cannot help themselves and that I would never get introuble for defended myself, and if I ever see a man hit a woman to defend her. Today I see more and more kids get in major trouble for "kid fights"... we use to get in fights when we were kids and in a couple hours be best friends again... it's part of growing up and teaches kids valuable lessons if a child is instructed properly on defending themselves. Kids are mean, and the mean kids learn important lessons when they attack kids that know how to defend themselves. God Bless, ironmonk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luthien Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 grr double post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luthien Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 [quote name='Didacus' date='Jun 1 2005, 10:25 AM'] Nice... your sarcasm is very much appreciated. [font="Arial"]Many thanks for your thoughts and prayers homeschool...[/font] [/quote] I dont think iggy was being facetious about your situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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