14 Year Old Chicago Assailant Shot by Police

We recently posted on an excellent project called Measure of America which defines and analyzes youth disconnect in cities.  Disconnected youth are defined as those who are "adrift at societies margins, unmoored from systems and structures that confer knowledge, skills, identity and purpose."

Following is a breakdown of information relating to the 14 year old CPS student who was shot on Thursday 8/20 by Chicago police:

Facts on timeline of police events:

1. Police responded to shots fired at 8900 block of S. Escanaba
2. Witnesses informed police that shooters were kids on bikes
3. Police located kids on bikes
4. Police questioned kids
5. Kids attempted to flee, chase ensued, assailant Deguan Curry, 14 years old, pointed gun at officers, Curry shot in legs by police

Facts on Deguan Curry's circumstances:

• At the time of the incident, Curry was in violation of Chicago's curfew laws
• Curry's handgun was illegally obtained
• Curry's mother, Ikyshia Webber, 35, has four children total aged 19, 18, 14 (Curry) and 13
• Webber's pregnancies occurred at the ages of 15, 16, 20 and 21
• Webber stated that on the night of the incident, Curry was in the company of his older brothers (19 and 18)
• Webber stated that her oldest two sons have "not been living with her for some time." She further stated that "They're grown. So what they do, I don't know."
• Curry is scheduled to begin school at CPS on Sept. 8th

Deguan Curry fits the profile of a disconnected youth.  His mother, Ikyshia Webber, fits the profile of a woman who was disconnected in her own youth.  Measure for Measure reminds us that we "spend our time, money and effort fighting the symptoms of youth disconnection instead of addressing its root causes."

This analysis is certainly accurate for CPS, where Deguan Curry can expect to be lectured on college readiness, reaching Common Core standards and the value of grit when he arrives to school on September 8th. And it's also accurate for the media, where condescending enablers will implicitly pin this incident on the police.