Murder of Derrion Albert

Derrion Albert murder case
Location Near Christian Fenger Academy High School
South Side (Chicago)
Date September 24, 2009
Attack type Battery, homicide
Victim Derrion Albert, 16
Suspected perpetrator(s) Silvonus Shannon
Eric Carson
Eugene Riley
and others

The murder of Derrion Albert occurred on September 24, 2009, near Christian Fenger Academy High School, on Chicago's South Side. Born in 1993, Albert, 16, was a junior honors student at the school.

Reports and video indicate that Albert was unintentionally caught in a fight between gangs from two neighborhoods, Altgeld Gardens and The Ville.[1][2] His death occurred after he was brutally beaten by several boys with pieces of a railroad tie.[3][4] Police initially arrested four individuals, Silvonus Shannon, Eric Carson, Eugene Riley, and Eugene Bailey, who were charged with first-degree murder.[5] Charges were later dropped against Bailey after further investigations.[6]

The amateur video footage of the beating, obtained by Chicago television station WFLD, was widely broadcast in both traditional and online media.[7] Largely resulting from the widespread circulation of this video, the story attracted much national attention within the United States, leading President Barack Obama to send U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Chicago to discuss youth violence with Mayor Richard M. Daley.[8] Secretary Duncan was also interviewed by Anderson Cooper on the cable news channel CNN regarding violence in Chicago.[9]

References

  1. ^ "4 Teens Charged In Boy's Brutal Beating Death". WBBM-TV. 2009-09-28. http://cbs2chicago.com/local/derrion.albert.investigation.2.1212436.html. Retrieved 2009-10-08. 
  2. ^ "Official: Suspect admits role in beating death of Chicago teen". CNN. 2009-09-29. http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/28/chicago.teen.beating/index.html. Retrieved 2009-10-08. 
  3. ^ "Teen's beating death puts pressure on officials". MSNBC. 2009-09-28. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33057768/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts. Retrieved 2009-09-29. 
  4. ^ "Chicago police seek 3 more in teen's death". CNN. 2009-09-29. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/29/chicago.teen.beating/. Retrieved 2009-09-29. 
  5. ^ "4 Teenagers Charged in Youth’s Beating Death". The New York Times. 2009-09-29. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/us/29fight.html?bl. Retrieved 2009-09-29. 
  6. ^ Maureen O'Donnell and Rummana Hussain (2009-09-29). "Freed Fenger suspect's mom: I knew it wasn't him". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 2. 
  7. ^ Honor student fatally beaten (TV-video). CNN. 2009-09-29. http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/28/chicago.teen.beating/index.html#cnnSTCVideo. Retrieved 2009-10-08. 
  8. ^ "Holder, Duncan plan to fight Chicago teen violence". The Associated Press. 2009-10-07. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g29TkoHOX3-KkNwrK25co1nDyqMwD9B6FH780. Retrieved 2009-10-08. 
  9. ^ "Video: Anderson interviews Sec. Duncan on the violence in Chicago". Anderson Cooper 360° (CNN). 2009-10-08. http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/08/video-anderson-interviews-sec-duncan-on-the-violence-in-chicago/. Retrieved 2009-10-08.