Very sad situation, I posted this here because I have a question for the parents. Is it common today for 8th graders to be out partying at 11-12 at night?


https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/05/us/illinois-8th-grade-football-star-killed/index.html

Jaylon McKenzie, 8th grade football phenom already counting college
offers, shot and killed at Illinois party

By Amir Vera and Rebekah Riess, CNN

Updated 12:39 PM ET, Mon May 6, 2019
14-year-old football phenom shot and killed

(CNN)Jaylon McKenzie had plans of going to the NFL.

The 14-year-old from Belleville, Illinois, was an eighth-grader who already had college offers from University of Missouri and University of Illinois. He was featured in the Future Issue of Sports Illustrated in November 2018 along with five other teen sports stars. He wanted to be a pro star in California, playing for either the Los Angeles Rams or Chargers.

Jaylon McKenzie, a 14-year-old rising football star from Belleville, IL, was shot and killed on Saturday night.

Those dreams died late Saturday when Jaylon was shot and killed at a party, his mother, Sukeena Gunner, told CNN.

Around 11:40 p.m. Saturday night, Illinois State Police said in a release, numerous law enforcement agencies responded to reports of a disturbance and shots fired at a large party in Venice, near the Illinois-Missouri border.
Jaylon had been at that party when a fight broke out, Gunner said. Jaylon walked outside to leave the party, and a stray bullet hit him. He and a 15-year-old girl were taken to a hospital where Jaylon died a short time after, police said. The girl is in critical condition, police said.

East St. Louis School District 189, where Jaylon was a student, confirmed that some of its students were shot at the party Saturday night.
"School District 189 has learned that a few of our students were shot at a house party in Venice, IL at some point Saturday night," a statement from the district read. "Few details are clear at this point. We do know that our youth, families and school staff have dealt with a number of tragedies and incidents of violence this year. We request space and time for them to appropriately grieve and come to terms with this latest impact of violence."
'I just started screaming'
Gunner told CNN Sunday that her family was usually traveling every weekend for some type of football-related activity.
Because Jaylon played on a summer travel football team, played basketball and ran track, he didn't usually attend parties.
But May was slower, she said, so Jaylon had more free time.
Gunner said Jaylon was with friends Saturday night.
"They stopped by the party, not with any intentions to staying long," she said. They were there to pick up something from a friend, she said.
Around midnight she received a call from Jaylon's brother with the news.
"I just started screaming," she said. "I just prayed and asked the Lord not to take my baby."
Gunner said she and the family are having a hard time coming to terms with Jaylon's death.
"It's very hard," she said. "It's still like a bad dream, like I'm gonna wake up in the morning and my baby's gonna be smiling at me asking for something to eat like he always does."
Jaylon's first word was 'ball,' mother says
Jaylon was the youngest of five children, Gunner said.
The middle-schooler always loved football. His first word was "ball," according to his mother.
"He just loved the ball. From the moment he was able to walk and catch, he just wanted the ball," she said.
At 3, Jaylon was already getting up on Saturday mornings and dressing up like he was going to a game.
At 5, he started playing tackle football, his mother said.
"You could see the talent at 5, but at 6 it was like 'Wow where did this come from?' and each year he just got better and better," Gunner said.
When he first started playing, Jaylon wore No. 3 on his jersey, but he changed that to the No. 6 when he was 8 years old because he idolized De'Anthony Thomas, who played for Oregon and is now a receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs. Jaylon was also a fan of Tavon Austin and Odell Beckham Jr., his mother told CNN.
"He just loved to watch them and perfect his craft," Gunner said.
But there was more to Jaylon outside of football and sports, his mother said.
Jaylon was big on fashion and "loved to dress," Gunner said. He loved sneakers, video games, shopping and hanging out with his "select group of friends."
Gunner also said her son had a "beautiful smile" and was soft spoken.
"He wasn't a man of many words," she said. "He had a humbling personality. He wasn't very outgoing, but everybody knew him and loved him."
Politicians and athletes respond to Jaylon's death
Illinois Rep. LaToya Greenwood posted a tribute on Facebook about Jaylon.
"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love. #JaylonMcKenzie"

Former NFL wide receiver Earl Bennett also tweeted his condolences.
"My heart and prayers goes out to Jaylon McKenzie family and friends. Matthew 5:4," he wrote. The scripture he cited reads: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

kev.

.

“I don’t see a problem with a kid being out that late at a party”

on both sides.

When I was in 8th grade if I went anywhere my parents dropped me off and picked me up. Even in high school when I had my own car I still had a 11pm curfew. I realize my parent were stricter than most 30 years ago and today.

The thought of being in 8th grade and out at a party after 11pm was almost unfathomable to me but I guess its no big deal now. Apparently these kids attended an "8th grade prom" or dance then afterwards went to an "after party" with some high school prom goers.

>“I don’t see a problem with a kid being out that late at
>a party”
>
>
>

>on both sides.
>
>When I was in 8th grade if I went anywhere my parents dropped
>me off and picked me up. Even in high school when I had my own
>car I still had a 11pm curfew. I realize my parent were
>stricter than most 30 years ago and today.
>
>The thought of being in 8th grade and out at a party after
>11pm was almost unfathomable to me but I guess its no big deal
>now. Apparently these kids attended an "8th grade prom" or
>dance then afterwards went to an "after party" with some high
>school prom goers.
>

These parents better get a clue real quick. As much as I hate to say this, I am becoming numb to the BS these days (from the black community in particular). A large majority of black parents have ZERO parenting skills. Each generation is getting worse and no one wants to do anything about it. If we fought to make sure that our kids are safe and straightening up the mess in our community equally or more than we do for racism, then we could see real effective change.

RIP to the young man.

Young black men need to have concern about this type of stuff. Never went to a house party until I was like 18/19 and in college. Too many fights and shooting at them in the city growing up (might be even worse now).

Says they were there just to holler at someone real quick. That sucks.

>Around 11:40 p.m. Saturday night, Illinois State Police said
>in a release, numerous law enforcement agencies responded to
>reports of a disturbance and shots fired at a large party in
>Venice, near the Illinois-Missouri border.
>Jaylon had been at that party when a fight broke out, Gunner
>said. Jaylon walked outside to leave the party, and a stray
>bullet hit him. He and a 15-year-old girl were taken to a
>hospital where Jaylon died a short time after, police said.
>The girl is in critical condition, police said.

As for your question, it does seem odd given school is still in. Had this been summertime, I would have seen it as more of a possibility.


I didn't get my first crack at late nights until 15/9th grade and it was the summer after 9th grade at Landsdowne (now Wyvetter Younge).

But even then, I had to spend the night at my boys house who lived with his old ass grandparents. So when they were down for the count at 9pm, we were out the door and usually back by 2am. Or I was at my other homeboys crib who's mother worked 3rd shift so we did whatever we wanted then. lol

Still house parties were volatile back then (fights and shootings) so it was pure chance we never got caught as a bystander to some foolishness.

You'd think we'd learn from the countless times these things happen though (I mean, "The Hate U Give" had a very similar set up in that movie not too long ago).

are given a lot more freedom. When I was in 8th grade I didn't go anywhere with our my father, mother or older sisters. If I went to a function at school one of them dropped me off and picked me up. I know my parents were stricter than most. Even all the way through high school I still had an 11pm curfew. Being at a party that late as an 8th grader is almost unfathomable to me.

And with this kid being a great athlete he probably had as many haters as fans.

all the stats say otherwise.

Also it's different everywhere you go. I'm sure there are places where things are crazier than they were when we came up, though.

The party scene at my kids school is pretty mellow. Every kid has a cell phone now, so it's way harder for them to sneak around and do physical dirt. Most of the actual dirt and nasty shit goes down on the socials these days.

>all the stats say otherwise.

they do? it seems like there are a lot more shootings now, especially involving teenagers.

Back when I was that age there were fights, you hardly ever heard of anybody getting shot, now its almost a regular occurrence.