Murphy should acknowledge the bloodbath in Trenton
An Internet search for ‘doublehomicide Trenton’ renders an unfortunate result.
The capital city suffered two such incidents — one in July and another in August. Streamline the search to ‘double-homicide, Trenton, teens’ and same issue for each aforementioned month.
Four youth or young men, four teen lives ended as double-murders without much response from anyone.
“It’s like we just accept it, like it’s normal,” Freddie Rosado, a local McDonald’s co-owner and cooperator with his wife, Rosa, offered recently.
The Rosados have their fingers on the pulse of this city as major contributors to positive events that benefit communities and neighborhoods.
They host several communitybuilding events at their Chambers St. fast food restaurant.
The Rosado insight made more interesting a recent response made by Gov. Phil Murphy after Vernetta McCray died.
McCray, 39, deceased after being shot while speaking on the phone on her Hampton Ave. porch, worked for state Department of Children and Families.
Gov. Murphy issued a statement.
“This tragedy is yet another reminder of the toll that senseless gun violence takes on our communities. Our prayers are with Vernetta, her family, and her loved ones at this difficult time,” said Murphy.
McCray perished as an innocent bystander as police believe rivals exchanged more than 20 gunshots. Let’s be honest — we care less when gang members shoot or kill each other; more when someone like McCray perishes.
The McCray history as a state worker makes understandable remarks by Murphy but the Governor should speak up when morticians outfit teenagers for funeral attire and coffins.
On July 8, Trenton police found Richard Guarderas, 18, and Malcom L. Bowser, 19, shot dead inside a vehicle idling on Stuyvesant Ave.
If circumstances determine Murphy responses then the fact that Bowser died just days before his Trenton Central High School graduation warranted comment.
On August 9, more than 20 shots shattered early-morning silence on the 300 Block of Centre St. where William Irrizarry, 18, Julius Vargas, 18, both of Trenton, met death.
Politicians and community leasers say almost nothing as young urban lives end before any real opportunity for living well.
If two teens were murdered in Princeton, West Windsor, Lawrence, Pennington, etc. the media world would saturate news readers and listeners with stories about the deceased — who they were, how they were loved and how they will be missed after having their lives ended unfairly.
In Trenton? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. And, it’s not like Gov. Murphy holds an answer to this city carnage, although perspectives could change with his acknowledgment that he sees what’s happening here — that what’s going on should not be accepted as normal.
If Murphy can shine light toward COVID-19 victims and a state worker then he could reflect attention to the mounting death numbers in the capital city.
Who knew that the January murder of Starquasia Harris, 24, would be the first of 27 to date. Shamira Williams, 32, stabbed to death inside a Laurel Place residence on Tuesday ties the city’s third highest death mark set in 1970.
Trenton, in 2005, recorded 31 murders and the all-time mark of 37 occurred in 2013.