Shattered glass and flowers mark area where Eric Rue died
Shattered auto window glass, collected and dumped near a tree on Morris Ave., marked the spot where Eric Rue died Saturday morning.
Trenton police responded to a report involving an unresponsive male inside his vehicle. They found Rue, 34, dead from multiple gunshot wounds. By Sunday, a bouquet of flowers had been placed near another tree on Morris Ave. The killing area exists in a quiet neighborhood near Wetzel Field.
Rue’s Facebook profile alleged employment as an Automated Logistical Specialist in the United States Army although no confirmation connected his service to active duty, a reservist or a Army National Guard member.
Imagine, an Army man deceased in the prime of his life, not while serving his country in some foreign encounter in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia or Niger but while seated inside his gray Kia in Trenton where the proliferation of gun violence continues.
The incident has disintegrated lives, shattered emotions into more fragmented pieces than a shot out car window, especially for Rue’s family members and friends who must somehow wrap their minds around this horrible loss.
Rhyme and reason exists for many homicides, however, this idea that more police officers could somehow have stopped the Rue murder sounds incredibly disconnected from the reality of killing.
Situations can escalate inside a bar room or house that law enforcement officers or government leaders hold no responsibility for despite efforts to produce reasons of cause and effect.
If we want to have an appropriate discussion about systemic violence, crime and guns then let’s talk without connecting the Rue murder to all other criminal activities that occur in the City of Trenton.
Many city issues connect directly to generational poverty, a depletion of recreation resources and no clear initiatives that deal with improving Trenton’s education system.
L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Find him on Twitter @ LAParker6 or email him at LAParker@Trentonian. com.