Tuesday, 16-year-old Simeon Adams of Indianapolis was charged as an adult for the murder of Nathan Trapuzzano, a 24-year-old unarmed man who was taking a morning fitness walk. Less than 18 hours after Trapuzzano was shot dead, Adams himself was taken to the hospital for a gunshot wound to the neck. Adams is also being charged with attempted murder for a non-fatal shooting on March 30.
On March 31, 18-year-old Deaundre Graves and an unidentified 17-year-old juvenile were arrested in connection with a robbery and murder at Body Gear, a clothing store on the Northeastside of Indy. During the robbery, Ho Lee, a family friend of the store owners was shot in the head and died. A 19-year-old female shopper was also shot in the leg.
In Chicago last Saturday, 16-year-old Michael Flournoy was fatally shot in front of a church as he walked to purchase snacks at a nearby store. Flournoy was on his high school’s football and wrestling teams and planned to go to college.
Last week, four Tennessee teenagers were captured on a South Carolina highway after allegedly killing 36-year-old Robert Blanchard. Included in the crime was the victim’s son, 16-year-old Zack Blanchard.
Nearly two weeks ago, a Staten Island Chinese food delivery man was accosted by three teenage males who while during a robbery attempt, shot and killed the victim. All three teens were arrested days later.
Seventeen-year-old Joshua Canfield was charged with the first-degree murder of an elderly Utah woman. In addition to the murder, he was also charged with 12 additional counts including arson, possession of a controlled substance, and assaulting a police officer.
Last February, 19-year-old Miranda Barbour and her 22-year-old husband Elytte Barbour were apprehended after arranging a meeting with a man through Craigslist.org and killing him for thrills. Miranda said she is involved in a satanic cult and has killed at least 22 people in the last six years. “When I hit 22, I stopped counting,” said Miranda of her ongoing murderous rampage.
Due to the influx and commonality of such instances, I could use this entire editorial space to provide examples of the various crimes, specifically murders committed by teenagers throughout the United States. It is a sad fact, but a reality nonetheless.
Several years ago the Recorder did a report on the lost generation. In the Recorder, we spoke with experts who discussed how there is a generation of individuals who have been “lost” because of the environment in which they were raised. Many in the “lost generation” are currently teenagers and early 20-somethings who may have had absentee, drug-addicted, or uninvolved parents.
The experts found oftentimes that the children in this particular generation who were raised in adverse conditions are less likely to have emotional connections with people and were more likely to feel a sense of entitlement.
Years later, we are now witnessing the effects of this lost generation’s upbringing, or rather the lack thereof.
An important thing to note is that this “lost generation” is not specific to any particular race or ethnicity. As a matter of fact, the aforementioned instances involved teens of various races and even socioeconomic statuses. The commonality, however, is the age they were when each crime was committed.
The reality this country is now living with in regards to the increase in crimes committed, is because we have failed this lost generation.
When those parents were absent or unengaged, they failed those children. When the children were not taught to respect authority or value life, they were failed. When those children were not given positive reinforcement or guidance, they were failed. When parents or guardians upheld the wrongdoing of children or refused to adequately discipline them, those kids were failed. And when parents were more concerned about being a child’s friend, rather than parent, that child was failed.
We are now dealing with the repercussions of those past failures.
By no means am I making excuses for the behavior of any teen who commits crimes of any nature, but it is important to look at the root of the problem. In doing so we can work toward tangible solutions moving forward.
We cannot totally eradicate the “lost generation,” but we can work to correct the problems for the generations who follow. In this issue of the Recorder (see page A1), the Recorder takes a look at current leadership and its effectiveness, but we will be doing much more. That’s where you come in.
Be part of a community conversation by letting us know what you think can be done to address the issues of crime and teenagers as well as your ideas for ensuring that future generations are not lost. Email us at newsroom@IndyRecorder.com or send us a message at Facebook/IndianapolisRecorder or via Twitter @IndyRecorder.
