4th Teen Charged in Chicago Beating Death

(CBS/AP)  Updated at 12:33 a.m. EASTERN
Cell phone footage showing a group of teens viciously kicking and striking a 16-year-old honors student with splintered railroad ties has ramped up pressure on Chicago officials to address chronic violence that has led to dozens of deaths of city teens each year.

The graphic video of the afternoon melee emerged on local news stations over the weekend, showed the fatal beating of Derrion Albert, a sophomore honor roll student at Christian Fenger Academy High School. His death was the latest addition to a toll that keeps getting higher: More than 30 students were killed last school year, and the city could exceed that number this year.

Prosecutors charged four teenagers on Monday with fatally beating Albert, who was walking to a bus stop when he got caught up in the mob street fighting, authorities said.

The violence stemmed from a shooting early Thursday morning involving two groups of students from different neighborhoods, said Tandra Simonton, a spokeswoman for the Cook County prosecutor's office. When school ended, members of the two groups began fighting near the Agape Community Center.

CBS News station WBBM in Chicago reports loved ones formed a prayer circle on Monday just feet from where Albert was beaten. Afterward, the family was escorted to a prayer service. Albert's parents and family members declined to speak to the media, but their tear-streaked faces spoke volumes. Then their bishop gave voice to their feelings.

"If you know that your child participated in this behavior, turn your child in," Bishop Tavis Grant said.

On "The Early Show" Tuesday, two of Albert's relatives, Joseph Walker, his grandfather who he lived with, and his aunt, Rose Braxton, finally did speak out.

Walker said he didn't watch the tape of the beating, nor planned to do so, because he wasn't there to protect his grandson.

Braxton said Albert was "a great kid."

"He had an easy going temperament, you know, loved to enjoy life. Loved to to go to school. He was looking forward to school starting. We had spoken to him being a senior and graduation."

Walker also countered rumors that Albert was part of gangs.

"My high grandson was not involved in any type of gang activities whatsoever. He was an innocent bystander," Walker said. "He was walking home from school. And when we make these streets safe enough for our kids to walk home from school, these types of incidents would not happen."

Earlier at the high school, a group of riled up residents attempted to storm the building, shouting and pounding on the school doors. More police were called in and the demonstrators were sent away, but emotions boiled over at times.

There are some in the neighborhood that feel the cycle of violence can be broken. Several pastors from different churches gathered outside the school before the day began to pray for an end to the violence.

"Once we pray, we have to work those prayers, and we have to get busy in the neighborhood to do all that we can to make sure that our community is safe and our young people, who are our most valued commodity, are safe and protected," said Pastor Alvin Love.

Police promised to have an increased presence around the school for the immediate future. Many speakers on Monday attempted to appeal to the collective conscience of the area's young people. They urged witnesses to cooperate by speaking with their pastors or police so that all who took part in this killing can be brought to justice.

The attack, captured in part on a bystander's cell phone video, shows Albert being struck on the head by one of several young men wielding wooden planks. After he falls to the ground an appears to try to get up, he is struck again and then kicked.

Prosecutors charged Silvonus Shannon, 19, Eugene Riley, 18, Eric Carson, 16, and Eugene Bailey, 18, with first-degree murder, Simonton said.

Shannon, Riley and Carson were ordered held without bond Monday. The Cook County Public Defender's Office, which represented the three teenagers in court, had no immediate comment. Bailey was due in bond court Tuesday, Simonton said.

Chicago police said they were looking for at least three more suspects, but would not discuss a possible motive for the attack.

Simonton said Albert was a bystander and not part of either group. She said he was knocked unconscious when Carson struck him in the head with a board and the second person punched him in the face. Albert regained consciousness and was trying to get up when he was attacked a second time by five people and was struck in the head with a board by Riley and stomped in the head by Shannon, Simonton said.

Desiyan Bacon, Riley's aunt, said her nephew didn't have anything to do with the beating and was a friend of the victim.

"They need to stop the crime, but when they do it, they need to get the right person," Bacon said.

Fenger students said Albert's death intensified tensions at the school, with arguments about him breaking out in hallways all day Monday. Several blocks away, a memorial erected on the spot where he was beaten was burned down. Police also increased patrols before and after school and in the neighborhood.

"They're still trying to retaliate," said sophomore Toni Gardner, 15. She did not elaborate.

For Chicago, a sharp rise in violent student deaths over the past three school years - most from shootings off school property - have been a tragedy and an embarrassment.

Before 2006, an average of 10-15 students were fatally shot each year. That climbed to 24 fatal shootings in the 2006-07 school year, 23 deaths and 211 shootings in the 2007-08 school year and 34 deaths and 290 shootings last school year.

At a Monday vigil at the school, some community members said the solution lies with parents.

"It is our problem. We have to take control of our children," said Dawn Allen, who attended the vigil where a group of residents tried to force their way into the school before being turned back by police.

This month, the city announced a $30 million project that targets 1,200 high school pupils identified as most at risk to become victims of gun violence, giving them full-time mentors and part-time jobs to keep them off the streets. Some money also will pay for more security guards and to provide safe passage for students forced to travel through areas with active street gangs.

Albert's family attended a news conference Monday with school district leaders and police, but did not speak. They wore T-shirts with a picture of him in a cap and gown, with the words, "Gone too soon, too young."

But Annette Holt, mother of Blair Holt, a Chicago Public Schools student who was shot on a city bus two years ago, said Albert represented "another promising future, just snuffed out because of violence."

"Someone said he (Derrion) was in the wrong place at the wrong time," she said. "No, he wasn't. He was in the right place. He was coming from school."

[Glork]

The news reported that after 48 hours not ONE single person responded to the police/mayoral requests for help with leads in this case. Boy! Some people know how to follow rules very well,don't they? Problem is that these were the same monsters that told their first grade teacher to F**K OFF when she asked them nicely to take a seat and fold their hands. When the school did not call the parents ( and I mean BOTH parents) and say "Take this child home and don't bring him back until he has learned decency, manners and respect" WE LOST. That's right- some lazy ***** lost the free babysitting that "school" has been turned into. Oh yeah? We as teachers are your child's first line of defense- from kindergarten on we can raise them up or we can leave them behind- but PARENTS-you had them first- when you failed to do YOUR duty following sexual intercourse-are you honestly surprised that this is the outcome? When a President has to tell parents to be moral leaders in their homes as parents and do some teaching and exercise some control at home what does that say about our society? The Middle East and Asia know that we are laughingstocks because of the rotten- to- the- core family unit- THAT is our country's most genuine weakness- not the battlefield. This is a country that acts as if it never heard of the words "Sunday School", a value which never cost anyone more than 25 cents in the basket. Too much freedom in the home and too many parents believing that their progeny will educate themselves and that the "school" will do it for them. Well, it obviously has-here are the results. Even the poorest family can hold an honor code and standards of integrity that cost nothing EXCEPT restraint, effort, and DELAYED GRATIFICATION.
Not only should these abusers be burned at the stake but their parents should be eliminated as well as a" message to the community." Obama is weak and cannot reach the people who committed this crime so we cannot look to him for leadership; plus, family is not his priority commitment,except in photo opps. Oh, but I forgot- no one can help turn them in so I guess your community silently defends them. P.S. White here, from Newark, N.J. ...we're open for the Olympics- just in case the Russians don't want their teen gymnasts beaten with railroad ties-we prefer the pre-finished baseball bats here- aluminum or wood...held by the "wrong end" of course!!

[LadySheila]

I could not believe my eyes when I saw the mothers defending these monsters who beat this kid to death. I really think that it all begins with the parents and how they raise their children. Too many children are not being taught values or morals, and this is the result...young people acting like wild animals. This is not the only case either. There have been several horrible murders like this involving young people. Too many woman having kids who don't know the meaning of being a parent!

[letsmeetfordinnersoon]

Please do, Solarrays. Believe it or not, I betcha that there isn't even a place where all blacks are on welfare. Blacks maybe committing crimes every second of the day, which is more believable and not all of them on welfare. But I am game, for sure. While you're at it, please pull up a web page where the majority of the residents are White BUT the crime is committe mostly blacks. Enlighten us, sugar!

[livewiremd]

I didn't know they had nice video cameras in Somalia.......oops.....that was from Chicago. Sorry.

[sabamahawk]

Why the "Black-on-Black crime" emphasis?? Should "Black Crime" be more appropriate?? Crime committed by a Black sounds more to come from a "Black criminal". Thus, the race of the VICTIM should not be associated w/the perp.

[fedupwithmess]

All of these little stupid gang members that want to fight and beat up folks need to be sent straight to Afghanistain and Iraq to fight in the war. Send them straight over there with their weapons and put them right on the front lines. I'll bet this gang crap will break up real fast. Try it.

[upsetat63]

In America I don't see a race issue as much as it's a $$$$$$$$$$ issue. Those that have a lot of money (regardless of race) get away with more then those with less or no money, period. Michael Jackson was a drug addict,(and my opinion a child molester, pay off family $20 million, give me a break) currently the "police" are search for his murderer. How many other drug addict die each day, black and white and because they are not Michael Jackson, no body cares???? Life is tough but don't look for handouts, get off your butt and make something happen. Illegal aliens get work mostly because they will do work we (white & blacks) won't do and off course lower wages but they are wages.

[fedupwithmess]

These folks are just acting like wild savages out of control. These gang bangers make me sick. All black folks don't act this way.

[run2jazz2]

Let me post a comment that brings this matter close to home. I grew up as a young man in West Philadelphia. Was it "Wonderland" hell no, but I saw the worst and sometimes the best of things going on in my neighborhood. I had two choices, make something of my life or give an excuse why I did not make it. I choose to make something of my life and have probably done more than anyone could ever imagine of me. There are no excuses for the African-American community, if there are those who want to succeed they will do whatever is necessary to make it and for those who use the crutch of excuses that the "White man" is keeping me down will unfortunately realize that it is not the "White man" that is pulling the trigger or killing us but us. GOD bless the family of the young man who was trying to make something of his life as I feel your pain and sorrow that you looked in him to do something better in his life as he valued an education being an honor roll student. Chicago, regardless of ethnicity should be mad as Hell as another young person has lost their life to violence. RIP little dude, you are in a much better place being with "GOD" than living in this world.

[kitnz]

BLACK, WHITE AND ASIAN JUST TURN TO GOD YOU WILL ALL BE SAVED AND GET TO KNOW THE MEANING OF LIFE. OTHERWISE YOU WILL ALL BURN IN HELL FIRE, NO MATTER WHAT COLOUR OF YOUR SKIN IS: