Mother of slain Garfield teen calls for change to prevent future violence
The mother of a Garfield teenager who was killed this week after he got off a bus from a court-ordered program for juvenile offenders is calling on officials to review their system with hopes of preventing further violence.
Malika Williams said her son, Dalon, 17, usually returned home from the Community Intensive Supervision Program (CISP) around the same time every night. He didn’t make it there Monday.
Instead, he got off the program van, was shot and collapsed a few feet away from the gate leading to the back door of his home in the 5300 block of Mossfield Street.
In the days since his death, Ms. Williams said she has grown concerned by the amount of detail
other people seem to have had about her son’s schedule and involvement in a court program. She said she also worries about the security for other teenagers involved in court programs, given that there have been shootings at or near CISP vans in the past.
“He’s high-risk. Where y’all at?” Ms. Williams wondered aloud during an interview at her home Thursday.
Two people were shot when a CISP van dropped a 17-year-old student off in Hazelwood two years ago. In 2009, officials altered van routes, following four shootings near CISP vans over the course of four months — shootings in which no one was injured.
Ms. Williams said that prior to this week she expected her son to “live forever.”
She said she’s prepared to contact officials in many local court and law enforcement offices while she seeks answers to questions about her son’s death. She said she’d like to see heads of some departments — including the Allegheny County district attorney and heads of juvenile court offices — work together on solutions for the violence.
Jeffrey A. Manning, Allegheny County Common Pleas Court president judge, said Thursday that he can “suggest to you that that’s being done.” He said it “would be improper” to provide more details while the homicide investigation is ongoing.
Pittsburgh police have “no solid info on a suspect or suspects,” according to spokeswoman Sonya Toler. Ms. Williams hopes someone will come forward with information.
Officials said Dalon began the CISP program last month, after he was adjudicated delinquent in a drug case. The program is designed for children and teenagers who are found delinquent — the juvenile equivalent of guilty — of crimes. The program monitors juvenile offenders and requires them to perform some community service.
Records in juvenile cases are typically sealed. Ms. Williams described her son as “an accessory,” saying someone else was involved in the case and her son happened to be present.
While he was in the CISP program, Dalon attended Pittsburgh Milliones, then went to an after-school program and then took a CISP van home, where he remained on electronic monitoring.
Ms. Williams said she had just gotten out of the shower shortly after 9 p.m. Monday and was preparing to settle in when she heard gunfire. She looked outside a second-story window and saw her son lying in a grassy area outside.
Ms. Williams went outside and felt for his pulse. It was faint. She checked his eyes and didn’t get normal responses. He died in the yard.
She still sees that image of her son, lying there helpless, but she tries not to dwell on it. She wants to focus on finding ways to prevent future violence. She said she hopes other mothers don’t have to experience what she is going through.
Ms. Williams said she remembers signing a paper that said that the van drivers — who she said are armed and wear bullet-resistant vests — would not leave until they saw that the teenagers they’re supervising make it home. When she looked out her window after the shots were fired Monday night, she said she didn’t see the van. She said she received a phone message from someone with the program that evening asking if Dalon had made it home safely.
“You were supposed to pull off when you see him at the door,” Ms. Williams said. “He should have made it back into my house.”
Officials have not said how much time elapsed between the moment Dalon got off the bus and the time he was shot. Ms. Williams said someone appeared to have been waiting for her son.
Allegheny County officials would not comment in detail Thursday on transportation policies, security on the CISP vans, or some of Ms. Williams’ statements.
Court administrator Linda Kelly said, “Any information that relates to the transportation of CISP probationers is always held strictly confidential by the Family Division.” Liz Navratil: