July 1, 1998-Beats & Rhymes Magazine
My son was murdered on October 27, 1997. Shane was nineteen years old and had his whole life ahead of him. He was a devoted and loving father of twin girls who were six months old at the time of his death. He was a wonderful brother to his two younger sisters. A wonderful son, husband, grandson and friend. He was studying to be a machinist so that he could take care of his family. But in an instant, it was all over.
Why did Shane die? Why would someone want to shoot and kill him? Shane was not the intended victim but his death can be atributed to so many things. Money, drugs, guns, anger, and young people who do not know the right way to resolve problems. Young people who do not stop to think of the consequences of their actions. This one act of violence has changed so many lives forever.......what has been done cannot ever be undone. Death is permenant. Would the three boys who are responsible for Shane�s death have done things differently if they had known what the outcome would be? I would hope the answer is YES. In a lot of ways, their lives are over too. Shane died eight months ago, and now for eight months, these boys have been sitting in a jail cell away from their families and the lives they had before that night. They are waiting to see what their fate will be.
I do not know why this has happened to my family and so many other families. If I and Shane through his death could reach other teens and make them realize that violence is not the the way to solve their problems, then his death can mean something. He will not have died in vain.
Before you do something, take a few minutes and ask yourself these questions: Is this worth my life or someone elses? Is it worth a lifetime of pain for me, my family, for others? And I hope you answer no.............
Judi Walker
