Detroit college student True Whitsey 18 - fatally shot in front of younger brother

**Zacha341** · January-05-13, 08:45 AM

Absolutely grim -- another murder of a teen yesterday, only 18, 4.0 GPA, full four-year scholarship student of Ferris State, visiting home for holidays, robbed and killed next to his brother on the cities west side. Shot twice even after he and his brother said they had nothing to give the robbers... beyond sad.

From article:

...His mother boasts of her son's 4.0 GPA all through high school. He had a full, four year scholarship to Ferris State where he planned to study corporate law -- a bright, young mind with the world at his feet.

"That was the worse thing I ever [did] in my life, to identify my baby on the screen," Brown said. "They killed both of my sons. They took one life and messed the other one's mind up. He had to witness his brother's death. It don't get [any] worse than that."

True's baby brother said there was something that will make the shooter easy to find.

"He had a tattoo... on the corner of his right eye."

True's mother is planning a candlelight vigil on Joy and Stahelin Saturday night at 6:45. She wants the entire community to show up and support her son.

True Whitsey was mentored by Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh. He released a statement Friday saying, "He was a well mannered young man with goals. I am heartbroken, and it makes me want to double my efforts to save our city by helping not just those who are college bound... but to catch those in enough time to stop them from being prison bound."

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/20508058/detroit-college-student-18-fatally-shot-in-front-of-his-brother

**stasu1213** · January-05-13, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Absolutely grim -- another murder of a teen yesterday, only 18, 4.0 GPA, full four-year scholarship student of Ferris State, visiting home for holidays, robbed and killed next to his brother on the cities west side. Shot twice even after he and his brother said they had nothing to give the robbers... beyond sad.

From article:

...His mother boasts of her son's 4.0 GPA all through high school. He had a full, four year scholarship to Ferris State where he planned to study corporate law -- a bright, young mind with the world at his feet.

"That was the worse thing I ever [did] in my life, to identify my baby on the screen," Brown said. "They killed both of my sons. They took one life and messed the other one's mind up. He had to witness his brother's death. It don't get [any] worse than that."

True's baby brother said there was something that will make the shooter easy to find.

"He had a tattoo... on the corner of his right eye."

True's mother is planning a candlelight vigil on Joy and Stahelin Saturday night at 6:45. She wants the entire community to show up and support her son.

True Whitsey was mentored by Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh. He released a statement Friday saying, "He was a well mannered young man with goals. I am heartbroken, and it makes me want to double my efforts to save our city by helping not just those who are college bound... but to catch those in enough time to stop them from being prison bound."

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/20508058/detroit-college-student-18-fatally-shot-in-front-of-his-brother

Stop cutting public safety. Charles Pugh had not spoken out on the rise on crime in the city. The Mayor keep saying that putting a cop in every household does not deter the crime. He is in denial in believing that most of the crime happens on the street. This poor college student didn't know his attacker. The married couple did not the the assailant who had raped the wife in front of the stroke-strcken husband. The woman shoveling the snow in front of her house probably didn't know her rapist. The Mayor has to stop making these stupid statements saying that people have to stop settling their disagreements with guns. Most of the crime is done to those such as the pizza delivery person and cab drivers who don't know there attackers. Pugh and Bing does not want to admit to this openly

**canuck** · January-05-13, 10:34 AM

Disgusting to the power of 10.

**Zacha341** · January-05-13, 10:38 AM

I do volunteer work etc. with teens, young adults and the murder of Whitsey really got next to me.

Yeah, folks are being mugged, raped and shot [[day and night) from assailants outside their homes lately - in this cold weather! Makes one wonder what the warm weather will bring? A sailor surviving war came back to visit only to beaten to death and shot in front of a home - his shoes stolen removed from his body:

Sailor, 24, shot and killed on Detroit's west side
Updated: Jan 04, 2013 7:34 PM EST

24 years old and just back from serving our country, Petty Officer Terrence Hill, Junior was shot and killed on Detroit's west side, murdered during an attempted robbery outside of his girlfriend's home on Manor Street just off of Seven Mile.

**corktownyuppie** · January-05-13, 10:43 AM

Crime is out of hand in the city. The city isn't able to deliver security. At this point, I would be fine allowing any entity, including the state, to deliver security in its place.

Maybe instead of blaming the Mayor or City Council, it's time to go to Lansing and beg for intervention.

**Zacha341** · January-05-13, 10:47 AM

Yeah the only one benefiting is the funeral parlors and the cemetaries cannot even open grave plots with the ground so cold. Perhaps we'll hear someone yammer on about how 'Crime is everywhere - Detroit's no different' non-sense. Wake up Detroit!!

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

Crime is out of hand in the city. The city isn't able to deliver security. At this point, I would be fine allowing any entity, including the state, to deliver security in its place.

**stasu1213** · January-05-13, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

Crime is out of hand in the city. The city isn't able to deliver security. At this point, I would be fine allowing any entity, including the state, to deliver security in its place.

Maybe instead of blaming the Mayor or City Council, it's time to go to Lansing and beg for intervention.

Lansing is the one who is holding back the money which is owed to the city. Lansing doesn't give a damn about the safety of most of the residents of the city. Dave Bing and Chalres Pugh are two weak acting individuals who Lansing had told to kiss it's A$$.

**313WX** · January-05-13, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

Crime is out of hand in the city. The city isn't able to deliver security. At this point, I would be fine allowing any entity, including the state, to deliver security in its place.

Maybe instead of blaming the Mayor or City Council, it's time to go to Lansing and beg for intervention.

The problem we have is, the city is too broke to hire enough police officers to implement a NYC method.

At the same time, the city and the state of Michigan also run the risk of lawsuits [[See S.T.R.E.S.S.) by calling in the National Guard, because they WILL violate the constitutional rights of citizens since they're trained for military policing and not civilian policing.

Snyder claims few of his state troopers are patrolling the city. The surrounding communities, due to the recession, are already stretched thin on resources and are not going to patrol Detroit's streets for free either, if at all.

**401don** · January-05-13, 11:18 AM

I am really shocked by the lack of outrage by everyone from citizen groups to church leaders to the business community [[including the big downtown companies). It seems time to draw attention to this on a national level. Maybe a few interviews on National news broadcasts might get the state to take some action, including asking for help from the Feds. Unfortunately, it will probably take some executive or sports fan from the burbs being shot before the leaders speak out. Do they really think it's better to wait for a trajedy that affects their own wallets?

**stasu1213** · January-05-13, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

I am really shocked by the lack of outrage by everyone from citizen groups to church leaders to the business community [[including the big downtown companies). It seems time to draw attention to this on a national level. Maybe a few interviews on National news broadcasts might get the state to take some action, including asking for help from the Feds. Unfortunately, it will probably take some executive or sports fan from the burbs being shot before the leaders speak out. Do they really think it's better to wait for a trajedy that affects their own wallets?

Washington probably would like to send grant money to hire more police officers but the Mayor keep saying that the violence are done in the households or due to a dispute between two acquaintances ending in gun battle. He seems to be staving off anymore federal intervention such as money for more polce officers. Dave Bing really want people out of the city so he could do what others want him to do with the land in my opinion.

**corktownyuppie** · January-05-13, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Lansing is the one who is holding back the money which is owed to the city. Lansing doesn't give a damn about the safety of most of the residents of the city. Dave Bing and Chalres Pugh are two weak acting individuals who Lansing had told to kiss it's A$$.

Oh Jesus Christ. Enough of this. The amount of money Lansing is said to owe Detroit would be spent in less than 9 months with our current budget.

And that's not spending that money on cops.

**313WX** · January-05-13, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

Oh Jesus Christ. Enough of this. The amount of money Lansing is said to owe Detroit would be spent in less than 9 months with our current budget.

And that's not spending that money on cops.

That post was sarcasm, in poor taste.

**Zacha341** · January-05-13, 11:43 AM

Perhaps Reverend Jackson or Sharpton might drop by?

Bing is wrong and offering an EXCUSE for criminality by saying it is just people who know each other. That is the STANDARD justification like the justification long-stated "Crime is everywhere" is TIRED and useless and mainly UNTRUE!

Further, the police chief stated that "1000" more police would NOT be helpful:

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/20...all-in-detroit

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Washington probably would like to send grant money to hire more police officers but the Mayor keep saying that the violence are done in the households or due to a dispute between two acquaintances ending in gun battle. He seems to be staving off anymore federal intervention such as money for more polce officers. Dave Bing really want people out of the city so he could do what others want him to do with the land in my opinion.

Shollin · January-05-13, 11:44 AM

What the hell were the cops suppose to do? How in the world are the cops suppose to know when this person was going to get robbed and killed? All this bitching about the police and nothing about the criminal. I can go and kill someone and the cops won't prevent me from doing it.

**stasu1213** · January-05-13, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

Oh Jesus Christ. Enough of this. The amount of money Lansing is said to owe Detroit would be spent in less than 9 months with our current budget.

And that's not spending that money on cops.

Let us not forget the money due to the city through unpaid taxes by corporations and intrest groups or persons

**Meddle** · January-05-13, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by Shollin

What the hell were the cops suppose to do? How in the world are the cops suppose to know when this person was going to get robbed and killed? All this bitching about the police and nothing about the criminal. I can go and kill someone and the cops won't prevent me from doing it.

These types of offenders rarely do it just once. They've probably done a number of other things they could have been arrested for prior. Get them for the smaller stuff before they move up the scale.

Shollin · January-05-13, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

These types of offenders rarely do it just once. They've probably done a number of other things they could have been arrested for prior. Get them for the smaller stuff before they move up the scale.

And when they do their 30 days in jail then what?

**canuck** · January-05-13, 12:11 PM

Well more cops on the streets of Detroit would certainly help. More cops, more cars, more visibility and vigilance. The idea that a thousand more police would not help is ridiculous.

**313WX** · January-05-13, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

Well more cops on the streets of Detroit would certainly help. More cops, more cars, more visibility and vigilance. The idea that a thousand more police would not help is ridiculous.

Agreed.

I imagine what Logan and Bing were trying to do instead was mimic the "Sorry, we're broke" rhetoric from Bing/Snyder.

But instead of their statement coming across like this...

"The catastrophic crime wave we're experiencing in this great city of Detroit is absolutely unacceptable and as leaders we do take full responsibility for not doing more to prevent the killings of 386 of our fellow citizens throughout the past year. However, given the city's precarious financial situation, we just don't have the resources alone to put anymore patrol officers in our street and we're begging on hands and knees for ANY help that can be offered by surrounding jurisdictions, in addition to ANY help from federal and state law enforcement agencies."

Instead, both Logan and Bing came across as bumbling idiots by not only blaming the folks in this city who keep food on their tables, but also ignorantly stating that we DON'T need more resources at all to address what has become a third-world crisis.

**Honky Tonk** · January-05-13, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Agreed.

I imagine what Logan and Bing were trying to do instead was mimic the "Sorry, we're broke" rhetoric from Bing/Snyder.

But instead of their statement coming across like this...

"The catastrophic crime wave we're experiencing in this great city of Detroit is absolutely unacceptable and as leaders we do take full responsibility for not doing more to prevent the killings of 386 of our fellow citizens throughout the past year. However, given the city's precarious financial situation, we just don't have the resources alone to put anymore patrol officers in our street and we're begging on hands and knees for ANY help that can be offered by surrounding jurisdictions, in addition to ANY help from federal and state law enforcement agencies."

Instead, both Logan and Bing came across as bumbling idiots by not only blaming the folks in this city who keep food on their tables, but also ignorantly stating that we DON'T need more resources at all to address what has become a third-world crisis.

But on a more positive note, did you guys hear Roosevelt Park is now all lit up! Now THERE'S money well spent!

**313WX** · January-05-13, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

But on a more positive note, did you guys hear Roosevelt Park is now all lit up! Now THERE'S money well spent!

Yippee!!!

Now if only we can get the lights on in parts of the city that sits in the dark every night!!!

**Honky Tonk** · January-05-13, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Yippee!!!

Now if only we can get the lights on in parts of the city that sits in the dark every night!!!

You mean like where prople ACTUALLY live? Novel concept.

**Hypestyles** · January-05-13, 12:54 PM

...civility takes a back seat.. public officials take a back seat... so who's driving? I have to escape before it's too late..

**Honky Tonk** · January-05-13, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

...civility takes a back seat.. public officials take a back seat... so who's driving? I have to escape before it's too late..

I can't even begin to tell you how these two stories sicken me. Three young men, doing something positive with their lives, not only trying to make themselves better, but their communities, and their country, snuffed out by some POS. Where's the outrage?

**canuck** · January-05-13, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Agreed.

I imagine what Logan and Bing were trying to do instead was mimic the "Sorry, we're broke" rhetoric from Bing/Snyder.

But instead of their statement coming across like this...

"The catastrophic crime wave we're experiencing in this great city of Detroit is absolutely unacceptable and as leaders we do take full responsibility for not doing more to prevent the killings of 386 of our fellow citizens throughout the past year. However, given the city's precarious financial situation, we just don't have the resources alone to put anymore patrol officers in our street and we're begging on hands and knees for ANY help that can be offered by surrounding jurisdictions, in addition to ANY help from federal and state law enforcement agencies."

Instead, both Logan and Bing came across as bumbling idiots by not only blaming the folks in this city who keep food on their tables, but also ignorantly stating that we DON'T need more resources at all to address what has become a third-world crisis.

Yep,

If you look a t all the money shoveled into that war on drugs in foreign countries in Colombia for instance, the same resources diverted to Detroit's streets would severely limit assaults on citizens because criminals look for easy targets. I once worked with a guy who had spent 15 years in and out of jail for repeated armed robberies and when I asked him why he had committed these crimes he answered; because it's easy.

I also would use some of the love money spent on foreign countries in the war to win hearts in Afghanistan, and put in in Detroit schools. Helping program kids for success, making school more interesting than the streets, learning and being with caring providers when the families are severely lacking in caregiving, etc... If schools are the only line of defense against the damaging of kids in unhealthy situations, then schools have to be the answer, even if it means forcing unskilled parents to get some reeducation alongside their kids. Even stuff like home economics classes, and cooking where a mother learns to buy and cook fresh foods, distinguish between cheap and wholesome versus expensive and crappy to allow better choices for the family. Lots of money there which will pay off in the long run. Ditto in Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia. But I would stop at Philadelphia.