RIP

With life comes death. A 15 year old died this weekend, shot in a driveway. No other details, just that he was dead and there wouldn't be a public funeral. He watched his dad die the same way when he was 8. He said many times that he was going to be just like his dad. There were days where he worked hard not to be, then days where he would spiral down to an existence of nothing. He would often go on these power trips where he was invincible - most middle schoolers do - on one of these days he threatened me in a serial killer kind of way. 'So you don't value your life, Ms. Steen' Just an excerpt of our conversation. I thought about that conversation for 24 hours before talking to anyone or reporting it. I reported it, not to save my life, but his. Little did I know - we failed him. He ran away, came back, went to a crappy school for kids with no where to go, ran away, came back, was awaiting someone to teach him homebound. Then he went to a party Saturday night, and was shot, in the head and found on the driveway.
In KC, especially where he was found, with death comes retribution. It will be had in all the wrong ways. I imagine another 15 year old will be shot.
We need to choose another retribution and start actually helping these kids before death happens. We're not doing enough pro-active actions if they are walking into malls and schools and shooting people for no other reason but to make a name for themselves in the end. To draw attention to the nothingness that they have become.
The world is in serious trouble. People need to wake up.