Comments on: Young Local Shooting Victim Dies

By: Renee

Renee — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:02:01 +0000

I also agree with Emmy about looking at what little positive we can gain from this horribly negative event. My immediate thought is how we can prevent additional young deaths, and I realize it takes a lot more (in terms of crime-stopping) than having people be careful who they let into their apartments, but that is a start.

0 likes

By: Renee

Renee — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 04:56:10 +0000

Yes, I agree with you Andy.

0 likes

By: Emmy

Emmy — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:11:02 +0000

Andy, I will totally agree with you on all of that.

I guess I look for the silver lining so I don’t go insane.

0 likes

By: Andy Perrine

Andy Perrine — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:09:12 +0000

Completely agreed, Renee. Although this soon after young Shay Nicholson’s death, I am hesitant to look for the silver lining. It’s just too damn sad that he died for no reason at his age. But over time — as you suggest — if we all can learn something from his death, then he should not have died in vain.

0 likes

By: Renee

Renee — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:31:49 +0000

Thanks for explaining what I intended, Emmy. Andy, of course I do believe the shooter is to blame and I wasn’t trying to imply otherwise – I’m sorry if it came across that way. I added the comment about the parties on to explain why it’s “scary” – that this could really happen at any of those open-door JMU parties. I’m scared for the kids because anyone that knows these kinds of parties go on here could easily take advantage and cause trouble, and I could imagine it was very easy for these guys to bring a gun into the victim’s home.

I’m not blaming Shay or the party for what happened. The person that brought the gun in and the person that shot at another human being obviously caused his death and should be punished severely for it.

Nothing like this has happened in recent memory at a JMU party, and when the city seems so safe, it’s easy to let your guard down when you’re trying to have fun and have an inclusive party – hundreds of students host these kinds of parties every weekend. I just hope students learn from this tragedy that you never know what stranger’s intentions are when you let them into your home, and that they will hopefully be more careful now that this extreme tragedy has occurred. It’s sad it sometimes takes an event like this to serve as a wake-up call.

0 likes

By: Andy Perrine

Andy Perrine — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:40:17 +0000

Thanks for your comments, Emmy. And please don’t misinterpret my remarks — open door parties are not a good idea, and everyone at the university is aware of the dangers they present. Unfortunately, open door parties are a tradition started in the 1970′s when Madison and Harrisonburg existed in a much different world. We’re working at the university to change this tradition. But as you might guess, its not easy.

0 likes

By: Emmy

Emmy — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:51:14 +0000

Andy, I can’t speak for Renee, but I don’t think she meant to imply that those who were truly at fault in this case aren’t the real people to blame.

However, she makes a good point about the parties. Even in to college some young people think nothing bad will ever happen to them and let their guard down way to often. Certainly the trigger man and the others involved are to blame here and hopefully they will be severely punished. This poor young man is not to blame, he just wanted to have a good time. But if anything can be taken away from this sad event, then perhaps it is that if you’re going to have a party, it shouldn’t be open door.

0 likes

By: Andy Perrine

Andy Perrine — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:44:23 +0000

Renee;

I agree that your reporting here is solid and sensitive. But I don’t understand this comment of yours:

“Yeah, it is good that there are few shootings here, but so sad when it does happen. The situation is sad and scary – so many JMU students have parties where they let anyone in. It’s so sad that it got out of hand and ended up this way.”

Wasn’t the kid with the gun at fault? How about he parents of the gang members — some minors — who had no idea what their kids were doing out late that night? Aren’t they at fault?

Agreed that the parties create a tempting target. But please let’s keep our eyes on who is truly at fault in this: the triggerman and the societal issues leading him to feel a need to join a gang and carry a gun. Not a party.

0 likes

By: Renee

Renee — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:09:12 +0000

Interview with family:
http://www.whsv.com/home/headlines/34935079.html

0 likes