Another black youth killed at house party in Atlanta area

What did Sandra Snow think her son’s prospects would be in life when she named him Dequavious? To give a child such a name is to say to him, “I consign you to the lower depths.” Not that he would have been any better off if his name had been William or John. But “Dequavious” somehow rounds out the picture, doesn’t it?

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

18-year-old shot to death after party

For the second time in a week, a metro Atlanta teenager was killed following a Saturday night house party. And for the second time in a year, a Rockdale County mother has lost a son.

Sandra Snow said her youngest child, 18-year-old Dequavious Stephon Mapp, came home Saturday night from his part-time job and told his mother a friend was coming over to the family’s Conyers home.

“They’re usually in for the night,” Snow told the AJC.

Snow was asleep when she got a phone call from one of her daughters telling her Dequavious was in the emergency room.

“No. It’s not right. He’s in his room. He’d been here all night,” Snow said she told her daughter. “But he wasn’t here.”

Snow said she has learned that her son was invited to a party, and friend picked up Dequavious and a female friend and drove them to the party.

Dequavious was one of three teenagers shot following a party about a mile from his home. The Rockdale County High School senior died at Atlanta Medical Center, his mother said.

A 16-year-old was in critical condition and a 15-year-old in stable condition Sunday after shots were fired at a Treeleaf Court home.

Police told Channel 2 Action News that there were up to 75 people at the party on Treeleaf Court. There were two parties combined—one for a 17-year-old girl’s birthday and one for a tenant to raise money for his rent, police said. There was a $3 entrance fee, a DJ and security guards, authorities said.

Police responded to the home around 9 p.m. due to noise complaint. Shortly after midnight, officers returned when shots were fired.

“These large house parties in neighborhoods don’t work,” Conyers police Lt. Jackie Dunn told Channel 2. ” You can’t control party crashers. That’s exactly what happened.”

Two alleged shooting suspects are in custody, and the house tenant was taken into custody for disorderly house, Channel 2 reported.

Snow said Dequavious’s death came just a year after her oldest son, Durante Mapp, was shot to death in DeKalb County.

“He had been struggling with himself because he lost his brother,” Snow said. “But he was coming around. He had a part-time job that he loved. And he had just bought himself a Honda.”

After high school, Dequavious planned to study architecture, and was looking forward to being out on his own, his mother said.

“The thing that hurts me the most is that my baby didn’t get the opportunity to graduate from high school,” Snow said. “He was just beginning to spread his wings.”

Dequavious was the second teenager killed in just a week following a party. Early Nov. 7, 18-year-old Bobby Tillman of Douglasville was beaten and stomped to death after a party. Four suspects have been arrested and charged with Tillman’s death.

[end of article]

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James P. writes:

“And for the second time in a year, a Rockdale County mother has lost a son.”

No point in even pretending there’s a father who has lost a son! If a father had been in the picture, maybe the kid wouldn’t have been shot at all.

“Dequavious’s death came just a year after her oldest son, Durante Mapp, was shot to death in DeKalb County.”

One son getting shot could be an accident, two sons getting shot begins to look like carelessness.


Posted by Lawrence Auster at November 15, 2010 10:18 AM | Send
    

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