Readers react to the alleged hate crime committed against an openly gay man near Barrows Park in the Old Hill neighborhood of the city on Tuesday.
Shay Andre Edwards is the lone adult in the group of nine charged with committing a hate crime. SPRINGFIELD - As an openly gay man walked home around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, he was allegedly attacked by a group of nine people on Walnut Street, which serves as the border between the Six Corners and Old Hill neighborhoods in the city.
According to police, five males and four females were charged with a hate crime following the attack as the motivation appears to be the man's sexual orientation, since statements like “That’s what we do to faggots,” were heard when the group was beating him.
The attack is considered unusual in a city and region where homosexuality typically isn't met with such viciousness, and the police said they are taking the situation very seriously.
The group of alleged attackers ranged from as young as 12 to one person whose age allowed him to be placed under more public scrutiny. Shay Andre Edwards, 19, of 11 George St., was charged with unarmed robbery and civil rights violation with injury, as were the rest of the group.
At Edwards' arraignment, he was released on his own recognizance pending the completion of a competency hearing. Due to their age, we still know very little about the eight youths who were also charged.
Here is what some of you had to say about the situation:
LenE says: Does anyone wonder why a bunch of teens, including a 12 year old, are out in the park at 3 am? Where are the parents?
memd says: This was a hate crime and it makes me sick that people do this kind of thing. What the heck was a 12 year old doing out at 3:00 AM with a 19 year old.
I hope the person that got beaten up is OK and the brats that did this find the way out of the ignorance hole they are in.
tracer says: if this was a race crime he would have at least a 1000 bail
ButterKnife says: Comparatively, non-violent drug offenders arrested solely for possessing controlled-substances, and not for assaulting or directly harming anybody, are routinely given bails they simply cannot pay, and are kept in lock up pending trial.
involved says: Every one of those thugs should be punished to the fullest extent. Where is human decency? The parents of the young teens should be investigated.
ThisMachineKillsFascists says: This society has a long way to go, a really long way. Disgusting.
Itcf says: It's the result of not having loving, caring and hardworking parents to teach their children right from wrong. Although I like the spirit of what Hillary said a while back; "it takes a village", well no it doesn't- it takes loving parents. The "village" and government can throw all of the money in the world for special programs. If you don't have parents- fuhgeddaboudit! These kids are doomed at birth, and a large percentage of them become environmentally made sociopaths
splfddad says: I agree with you somewhat but it does take more than just the parents being loving, caring and hardworking. It takes tougher laws and rules with a system that follow through. It is time we stop with the excuses and start accepting blame that we as a society are doing something wrong.
whoknows1 says: A hate crime is a hate crime! What is a 19 year old doing with all these juveniles? Maybe he is the babysitter?