another shooting

I saw some police cars at Cedar St. and 24th last night on the way home from work last night. They had an area taped off and I wondered if the newspaper would have any info in the morning. This is what I found.

We are on the 1200 block of 23rd, 2 blocks east and 1 south from the pizza place that the victim walked into. Due to the way that the streets run here, Cedar St. and 24th is a straight shot 6 blocks south of us. 25th and Venable St (where the shooting took place) is between the two other locations.

That block of 24th is a quiet one. This is a half-block or so up from the real edge of the neighborhood renewal, and somewhere that feels safe day or night. My perception has always been, though, that there is some bad juju on and across 25th St north of M Street or so. This seems justified.

To the parents reading this, do not be overly concerned. While there is shooting around us, we are statistically more likely to have a serious car accident or even be struck by lightning. The victim of each shooting since we moved up here has been a young black man. Every person that has been caught for something like this has also been a young black man. I’m not sure what to really say about that. The shooters and victims are involved in something that we are not, probably specifically the drug trade and certainly a lifestyle.

Our area is obviously on the mend, but there are still huge problems. There are drugs here and there seems to be a huge alcoholic population. There are prostitutes and abandoned houses. I’ve met 3 adults that can’t read or write, and the kids may or may not be getting an education any better. We think that this can change, though, and that we can be part of making a difference, or we wouldn’t be here.