Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told a news conference that a feud which began in high school escalated with the murders of two teenagers who were shot in separate incidents over the weekend.
“You should know who your children’s friends are,” she said, adding “if for some reason you see friends of your children not coming around or there is something negative being said, as a department, we want you to come in and sit down and have a conversation with us.
“We have to resolve these conflicts going on that our young people seem unable to resolve among themselves. We see 15 and 16 year olds with firearms in their hands; something is wrong with that.
“Whoever placed weapons in their hands, we’re going to come for you. We cannot allow you to destroy our young people. Fathers, you, too, have a role to play – go and seek out your children, your boy children … give them the support that they need,” the senior police officer warned, noting also that the police are looking for ways to prosecute parents if they allow their children to roam the streets at night.
“Parents, it’s time for you to start parenting your children properly. I can assure you we are going to look and find areas within the statute where we can also place you before the courts, because you have to be accountable for your children’s actions.”
Skippings said that conflict between the teens began in junior high school and involved a simple assault that was never reported to the police or the boys’ parents.
She said had the incident been reported to police, the deaths could have been prevented.
According to the police, the 18 year-old was on the basketball court with two other men when they were approached by three men dressed in hooded jackets.
There was a confrontation that led the victim to leave the area, but one of the men in the hooded jacket pulled out a gun and opened fire on the group, hitting the 18-year-old.
In the second murder, the police said that at about 3:15 a.m. on Saturday, the 15-year-old was asleep in his bed, when someone forced open a bedroom window and fired shots inside, hitting the teenager multiple times.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Their deaths have pushed the murder toll to 49 so far this year.
