13 year old Milwaukee person of color murdered in cold blood by neighbor.

[tachosomoza]

John Spooner was charged late Friday afternoon with first-degree intentional homicide.
The court set Spooner's bail at $300,000, and he was ordered not to have any firearms and not to have contact with anyone at the victim's address.
The criminal complaint said Spooner admitted to police during his arrest that he shot Darius Simmons.
Charging documents detailed what witnesses say they saw the day of the shooting. The victim's mother, Patricia Larry, told police her son was retrieving the family's trash cans from in front of their house when Spooner approached him, saying he "wanted his stuff back" and that he "wanted his shotguns back."
Spooner accused Simmons of stealing from his home.
Larry said she then witnessed Spooner shoot her son in the chest.
According to the criminal complaint, when police arrived on scene Spooner said, "Yeah, I shot him."
WISN 12 News reporter Marianne Lyles found out that just an hour before the shooting, Spooner opened up about his frustrations with neighbors.
Milwaukee police said they recognized the area around 19th and Arrow streets address when the call came in about a man they said shot his teenage neighbor. Dispatch records obtained by WISN 12 News show the Spooner called 911 at least 15 times in five years, including four stolen guns after a break-in Tuesday

Read more: http://www.wisn.com/news/south-east-wisconsin/milwaukee/Man-75-charged-with-homicide-appears-in-court/-/10148890/14431932/-/yb8ggvz/-/index.html#ixzz1wnLE6WOp

Fuck. Walked up to a 13 year old kid and shot him in the chest, with no reason or logic whatsoever.

[Pretty Flaco]

person of color? what makes you think his race places into this?

[tachosomoza]

The old guy walked up to the black kid and shot him point blank in the chest because he thought he stole his guns, even though he had no evidence. It's racial profiling.

[Zav]

The old guy walked up to the black kid and shot him point blank in the chest because he thought he stole his guns, even though he had no evidence. It's racial profiling.
He could have just mistaken him for the person that stole his guns, but racism probably has a play in it.

[tachosomoza]

He didn't see who stole his guns. Read the article. He walked up to the kid ranting about his stolen guns (which he didn't see being stolen), and then proceeded to murder him with a point blank shot to the chest. This is abominable.

[Geiseric]

He should be isolated in some kind of mental institution, because he's a threat to society. It's so sad whenever I hear about any young person dying, especially when you think of how this is going to effect his community.

[Pretty Flaco]

He didn't see who stole his guns. Read the article. He walked up to the kid, *****ing about his stolen guns (which he didn't see being stolen), and then proceeded to murder him with a point blank shot to the chest. This is abominable.

it is fucked up. but reading it from the article it sounds more like hes fucked up in the head.

[professorchaos]

I agree that there is a racial component to this case, interacting with issues of mental health and the elderly in a capitalist society. It's clear that Mr. Spooner has been co-opted by dominant capitalist ideology portraying young urban black men as essentially predisposed to petty theft.

[Pretty Flaco]

the police response makes me mad. they put her in the car for questioning? are you fucking kidding me?

and once again, really? person of color? is this 1930?

[tachosomoza]

the police response makes me mad. they put her in the car for questioning? are you fucking kidding me?

and once again, really? person of color? is this 1930?

I'm a person of color and I don't mind being called a person of color. Quit worrying about the fucking word and focus on the major issue here, which is that a child was murdered because of his race.

[Robocommie]

the police response makes me mad. they put her in the car for questioning? are you fucking kidding me?

and once again, really? person of color? is this 1930?

Bro, person of color is the currently generally accepted nomenclature. Seriously. It's phasing out the term "minority" as being less diminutive.

[tachosomoza]

Do any comrades in Milwaukee know of any events to support the family of the murdered teen?

[Leftsolidarity]

Do any comrades in Milwaukee know of any events to support the family of the murdered teen?

I haven't heard of anything, this was the first I've heard of it. I'll ask around.

Also to Dwyane: Milwaukee is an extremely racist city. Would not surprsie me at all if the victims race had something to do with it.

[Sea]

I'm a person of color
So what?!

I'm a person of color and I don't mind being called a person of color.
You don't mind emphasis being put on race?

Quit worrying about the fucking word and focus on the major issue here, which is that a child was murdered because of his race.How do you know that? Let me guess.. you "know" it's racial because the kid was black? Give me a break. The text in the article doesn't even vaguely mention race.

Everyone, every person must fight discrimination. This is something I support strongly.

However, I sure as hell don't support a vague and dramatized crusade against a racism that might not even be there in the fucking first place.

If you're going to accuse someone of discrimination, have a basis for it other than the mere skin color of those involved -- I shouldn't need to point out how bigoted that is.

[tachosomoza]

So what!?

If you're going to accuse someone of discrimination, have a basis for it other than the mere skin color of those involved -- I shouldn't need to point out how bigoted that is.

The basis is that he picked that kid, the person of color, out of everyone on the street, to shoot. The common stereotype of blacks as criminals led to him taking action against one when he was the victim of a theft. So what? So fucking what? Your post reeks of white privilege. If you can't understand why myself and others are treating this as an incident of racist hatred, you need to talk to some people and come off your privilege mountain. The article doesn't have to mention race, the element is clear. It's not vague at all. I can't believe you just said this shit.

[Sea]

The basis is that he picked that kid, the person of color, out of everyone on the street, to shoot.So the fact that the kid was a neighbor had nothing to do with it?


The common stereotype of blacks as criminals led to him taking action against one when he was the victim of a theft.You have absolutely no hard evidence of this, other than your own stereotypes of cranky ol' NRA members.


Your post reeks of white privilege.Your post reeks of the victim mentality. Besides, what if I were to tell you that I'm not white......


If you can't understand why myself and others are treating this as an incident of racist hatred, you need to talk to some people and come off your privilege mountain.I am on no privilege mountain. I'm a bit insulted, to be honest.

[tachosomoza]

Victim mentality? No shit, since the kid was the victim of a racially motivated attack. What the fuck is wrong with you? I'm sorry, but you're not going to sit here and convince me that accusing a 13 year old black kid of being a thief and shooting him in the chest is anything but a racist incident.

[RedCloud]

The old guy walked up to the black kid and shot him point blank in the chest because he thought he stole his guns, even though he had no evidence. It's racial profiling.

... Isn't it racial profiling for you to assume that being a 'black kid' is what got him shot since there was no other evidence?
Who is to say that just because he had no evidence that it was based solely on his race? No doubt it was profiling of some kind but it could have been because he was a young kid and the man was skeptical and/or, like someone else said, got him confused with the person who did take his guns.

Sorry guys, but there is no mention of racism here. I don't think this should necessarily go in the discrimination category.

[Leftsolidarity]

... Isn't it racial profiling for you to assume that being a 'black kid' is what got him shot since there was no other evidence?


No.



Who is to say that just because he had no evidence that it was based solely on his race? No doubt it was profiling of some kind but it could have been because he was a young kid and the man was skeptical and/or, like someone else said, got him confused with the person who did take his guns.



This is dumb. Why would we ignore one of the most pressing issues in our society and not consider it as possibly the motivation for this murder? Why would we dismiss the idea of racial profiling in the most segregated city in America? Yeah, the old man profiled him on something completely different, totally didn't even think about the fact that the kid was black :rolleyes:


Sorry guys, but there is no mention of racism here. I don't think this should necessarily go in the discrimination category.

So the article doesn't spoon-feed it to you and that's as deep as your critical thinking goes?

[RedCloud]

I never said it isn't possible for racial profiling to be involved in this.
However, assuming it is just because the victim is Black and the shooter isn't + saying that's the only reason he was shot, is still racial profiling to some degree. You are speculating and you don't really know, so don't talk like you do. ;)

[tachosomoza]

... Isn't it racial profiling for you to assume that being a 'black kid' is what got him shot since there was no other evidence?
Who is to say that just because he had no evidence that it was based solely on his race? No doubt it was profiling of some kind but it could have been because he was a young kid and the man was skeptical and/or, like someone else said, got him confused with the person who did take his guns.

Sorry guys, but there is no mention of racism here. I don't think this should necessarily go in the discrimination category.

Others in this thread have said that Milwaukee is one of the most racist cities in the Northern united states, and he didn't see the person who took his fucking guns. There was no way to confuse anyone with the thief, because HE DIDN'T SEE THE FUCKING THIEF.

[Leftsolidarity]

I never said it isn't possible for racial profiling to be involved in this.
However, assuming it is just because the victim is Black and the shooter isn't + saying that's the only reason he was shot, is still racial profiling to some degree. You are speculating and you don't really know, so don't talk like you do. ;)

I never did and you did say that it probably wasn't racial profiling which I'm saying is bullshit when it happens in an area like Milwaukee. It is very likely that this had to do with the kid being black so to dismiss that is fucking ridiculous.

[RedCloud]

How is the city racist? I have lived in Milwaukee and I am not a racist. :O
Don't get your panties in a wad just because I don't agree with you. This is just speculation.
I also never said he saw who did it:

He could have just mistaken him for the person that stole his guns, but racism probably has a play in it.

Mistaken does not necessarily mean he saw who did it. I said he could have been mistaken/confused about who it was. The article is devoid of an real details.
I tend to agree with Zav, here.

Also, do not put words in my mouth, tachosomoza.

[RedCloud]

Excuse the double post, I can not edit my previous one as it has to be approved first... But I never said that it was or wasn't racial profiling- as that would be speculation, which is what you are doing, leftsolidarity and tachosomoza. >.>
I said it is not necessarily racial profiling. Just because it's in Milwaukee doesn't mean it's a sure thing... And I wouldn't say that the whole damn city is racist, as you are implying.

[Firebrand]

It might not be racism. The article says they were neighbours and its entirely possible that the guy had formed a dislike of the poor kid on the basis of him being the kid next door. Neighbours often hate each other and its very common for adult neighbours to hate neighbours kids and blame them for incidents even whenjn they aren't responsible. From the article I get the feeling that a) the guy with the gun was mentally disturbed, killing someone for suspected stealing without evidence is not the action of a sane person. And b) seeing as they were neighbours its likely that they knew each other well enough for him to hate the kid on the basis of things other than race.

[Tim Cornelis]

Others in this thread have said that Milwaukee is one of the most racist cities in the Northern united states, and he didn't see the person who took his fucking guns. There was no way to confuse anyone with the thief, because HE DIDN'T SEE THE FUCKING THIEF.


Whether he saw the thief or not is irrelevant as to whether or not it is racial profiling. Maybe he shot the kid because he assumes that a "youngster" must have stolen it. Maybe he shot the kid because the kid had previously borrowed his lawnmower without asking, in addition with a clearly irrational, mentally unhealthy logic, assuming that therefore he must have also stolen his guns. Maybe he shot him because he was his neighbour, and would have also shot his 13 year old neighbour if he were European.

You don't know, just because the kid was African and the shooter European, that the shooter must have shot him because he was African.

Don't jump to conclusions.

[tachosomoza]

Wow...privileged naiveté is running deep in this thread.

[Leftsolidarity]

I'm going to say that while it's true we cannot say for sure what motivated this killing, it is very likely that race came into play. I think it is something that would require deeper knowledge of the case to make the claim but to dismiss the idea that it was racial profiling is foolish; not only in general but definitely in a city like Milwaukee.

[RedCloud]

It might not be racism. The article says they were neighbours and its entirely possible that the guy had formed a dislike of the poor kid on the basis of him being the kid next door. Neighbours often hate each other and its very common for adult neighbours to hate neighbours kids and blame them for incidents even whenjn they aren't responsible. From the article I get the feeling that a) the guy with the gun was mentally disturbed, killing someone for suspected stealing without evidence is not the action of a sane person. And b) seeing as they were neighbours its likely that they knew each other well enough for him to hate the kid on the basis of things other than race.

Thank you.
That's all I was getting at is that it could be more than just simple-minded racism...

The article is really devoid of any real and conclusive details... Maybe empirical, but still not conclusive.

I have also been in Milwaukee, I used to visit and stay there a lot. Never encountered racism or saw it as a "seriously racist" city. Just because it takes place there doesn't necessarily mean it's a sure thing.

[Leftsolidarity]

I have also been in Milwaukee, I used to visit and stay there a lot. Never encountered racism or saw it as a "seriously racist" city. Just because it takes place there doesn't necessarily mean it's a sure thing.

Yo, I live in the suburbs of it and spend a lot of time there. It's the most segregated fucking city in America. It's a serious problem.

[Pretty Flaco]

theres not enough evidence from the article to assume that racism played in the neighbor assuming the kid stole his gun. my friends dad used to hate their next door neighbors kid because the kid borrowed something from their garage, lied about taking it, and then the dad caught the kid returning it. the kid happened to be middle eastern. does that mean he was being racist in hating the kid?

[Pretty Flaco]

i mean dont get me wrong im not saying there was no racial component, but you guys are playing it out to be all racial but we dont know anything about the specifics.

[Luís Henrique]

Let me guess.. you "know" it's racial because the kid was black? Give me a break. The text in the article doesn't even vaguely mention race.

Sometimes a White guy kills a Black guy and it has nothing to do with race.

But... when a guy kills another guy because he "thinks" the victim may have burglarised his home... without having seen the burglar... without having any evidence that the victim had done anything wrong... and yet being very sure that the victim is the burglar... and then the police detain the victim's mother... and search the victim's home...

Then either it is a racially motivated murder, or it mimicks one very closely.

Luís Henrique

[Sea]

Sometimes a White guy kills a Black guy and it has nothing to do with race.

But... when a guy kills another guy because he "thinks" the victim may have burglarised his home... without having seen the burglar... without having any evidence that the victim had done anything wrong... and yet being very sure that the victim is the burglar... and then the police detain the victim's mother... and search the victim's home...

Then either it is a racially motivated murder, or it mimicks one very closely.

Luís HenriqueI agree the actions of police could well be based on the victim's race.

The fact that the victim himself was no older than 13, though, and wasn't given a chance to defend himself, and that Spooner openly admitted the killing without remorse suggests to me that Spooner was looking for an excuse to off someone regardless or race, age, potential criminal liability etc. more than anything else.