E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Courtesy the Pendleton family
Hadiya Pendleton during her trip to Washington for President Obama's inauguration.
A week after Chicago teenager Hadiya Pendleton was shot dead, her killer is still on the loose -- but her family says they are confident they will see justice.
"It's just a matter of time when this person is turned in," said Shatira Wilks, a cousin of the 15-year-old whose death made headlines across the country, focused attention on Chicago's murder rate and became part of the national debate over gun control.
Pendleton was gunned down while hanging out with friends in a park near her well-regarded school, just days after she performed with a marching band during President Barack Obama's inaugural festivities.
Police suspect she was the innocent victim of a gang member who mistook the teens for rivals on his turf. A reward for his capture has grown by the day, and cops said tips are still coming in.
"This bounty is now $40,000," said Wilks, who is acting as the family spokeswoman while Pendleton's parents prepare for her funeral Saturday.
"I think the family member or friend of the person sheltering him is viewing it as a lottery ticket, watching it go up so quickly," she said. "And I believe that at some point, they are going to turn this person in for the money."
She said whoever raised the shooter failed society by not teaching him right from wrong and is now compounding it by letting him dodge responsibility.
"How can you allow parents to suffer like this?" she asked.
Pendleton's mother, Cleopatra Cowley, and her father, Nate "Anthony" Pendleton, are facing the nightmare of burying their only daughter this weekend. A thousand or more people are expected to attend Friday's wake and the funeral the next day.
"She has a large following in death, as well as in life," Wilks said. "And we are already seeing change in Chicago as a result of her death."
She pointed to the city's decision to remove 200 cops from desk duty and put them on the streets to fight crime and several anti-crime marches and vigils that have been held since the murder.
Related:
- Handful of Chicago neighborhoods see most murders
- Chicago marchers ask Obama for help over gun violence
Chicago teenager Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed last week. Her death is inspiring people around the country to push for change to gun laws. Hadiya's mother Cleo Cowley shares her story with Rev. Al Sharpton.
Leave a Comment:
The recent growing popularity and mainstream of gangster rap has re motivated people to murder without fear. Thinking its a trendy thing to do. For example, Kayne West's new album good music cold summer talks about the current Chicago war his gang is involved in also like many other gangster rappers motivating each own past sets to murder and create chaos. I know music and free speech is an old argument from the 90s but dont you think that crime motivation and hidden lingo messages within a song is more than enough to see where all of this extra bloom of violence is coming from. Rappers have made it cool to kill.
Maybe West would like to donate 100k to this fund in some kind of recompense. I am sure KK doesn't really need another gaudy trinket. I feel for this family and I hope this money does bring some kind of justice.
west is a huge racisit...and a doushe
One wasted individual responsible for taking the life of one who was living life to the fullest. What a shame.
This innocent beautiful young lady was shot in the back! An unarmed individual who was shot in the back! The POS who did this will be brought to justice!
I have lived in several states and have concealed carry permits in each. At times I was approached by pieces of @!$%# that wanted my wallet. I showed them my piece and said "Here, take it." They unassed the area post haste. It is my belief that all Americans, criminal or not, should be allowed to pack. I am a combat veteran and love my freedom.
one less future gangbanger..one less democrat...
dont hang on the streets of chicago..500 killed last year alone..
some people must not read
Seems like the POS black gang bangers keep killing the young blacks with a future. Such a shame but until the black men step up to the plate and become fathers instead of baby daddys it will not change. Any body can make a baby or shoot a gun but it takes a real man to raise a child into a responsible adult. You know what is almost worse is all the people hiding the shooter.
Tom, you paint all black men with such a broad brush. The vast majority of black men in Chicago or anywhere else in this country are morally upright, law abiding citizens. Why do you blame everyone for the sins of a few? You say you know that there are all kinds of people hiding the shooter. Where's the evidence to back up your accusation?
I just would like to see the news reported on a balanced scale. This was a tragedy no matter of color, religous group or any other factor. With that just because she performed at the White House makes her no different that any one else. I am sick of the news always trying to direct the story toward their interest or some one elses. Just report what they know and let us make up our minds as to wether we want to read or hear more. My prayers go out to this young girl's family and friends. May God bless them, you, me and the USA.
Says a lot about the people in her community. you have to bribe them with money to get them to point out the shooter.
what happened to,,,no one likes a tattle tale??
"tattle tales like being hood rich" replaced it
Sometimes I just wish the Mayor of Chicago would just throw down the gauntlet to these cowardly back shooting gangs and invite them somewhere to have it out, once and for all. Kind of like the OK Corral. You bring yours, we bring ours and the last man standing wins. If we can eradicate these vermin, the entire city will be safer for everyone.
@Creek Dog,
I totally agree with you. There is no honor among this thug group and one will turn the other in for the money. I really hope they catch this POS because he took away a positive contribution to our society. This kid had plans to get her education and go forward with a self-sufficency that we rarely see coming out of this part of the USA.
SFC H.L.King (ret.)
no matter what gun controls u put in place...criminals will always have them
with all the crime and murders in Chicago....these 200 cops should have been taken off "desk work" long before this happened. Chicago has become a "cesspool" of crime. Police can only "speculate" why this happened....until the dirtbag is caught....no one knows why this dirtbag shot her. Either way.....fry his sorry ass.
Chicago has a Police Superintendant who B/S's the public.....A Governor who closes prisons and juvenile detention centers....and a Chicago mayor who is a liar too. So even if these gang-punks are caught what you gonna do with em....? Put a "ankle braclet" on them and let them continue to murder and rob the good citizens of Chicago...? That's what is being done now.....NOTHING....!!! The police don't care.....they know it's a waste of time and efforts to do the job....and the tax-payers are getting "robbed" by the State because the "moron" Governor spends tax-dollars on BS Programs and Freebies...!!! Thank You......Quinn....!!!
Such a tradgedy for such a beautiful, innocent girl, in a prior mob controlled, now gang infested culture in Chicago, where only the outlaws have guns . Crime, bribery , murder is common place.
Now, same leaders of cook county are ruling the who country
I wish I was still young enough t and healthy enoguh to travel, I would going hunting for this low life who killed this young girl who BTW was an outstanding student and was from a family of well educated parents who did it on htier own to get their education, my heart felt condolence to this family as a past foster parent I have seen the result of not nly fathers, but mothers also walking out on their family so it happens in all races.
This call for help from chicago to Obama has more to it then many people have heard about in regard to what Jesse Jackson is calling for Obama to declare Martial Law in chicago using untrained gun carrying goons from the TSA to walk the streets and meet out justice to curb the violence, and most of these Jesse Jackson wanted appointees are criminals in their own right with all of the facts that prove this in our airports and now along with the check points they have been setting up on public streets all over the country which never gets mentioned in thee news anymore, but it still happens.
As has been proven by fact by many well know college and by police statistic, when guns are in the hands of law abiding americans crime goes down as has just been proven by a Virginia college study and back by the Virginia Police numbers as well over a six,(6), year period from 2006 to 2011.
In Chicago it is against the law for citizens to have guns and the Demorat Governor tried to back door a new gun law but got voted down by 46 to 4 when he tried an Obama as was done with the Obamacare and all of it's hidden user fees which by the way are not taxes, unless you continue to drink the Kool Aid you know for a fact these are just more lies for you to believe becasue they keep getting repeated as the truth by all the media not just FOX or any other outlet for news.
Example of double standard, teacher suspended for 10 days for calling Michelle Obama a "FAT BUTT" plus all kinds of other sensitivity training included and monthly check ups to see he does the time, but he can not teach his normal class buthe can coach sports, yet O'Badmouth tells a potential eneny "I can be more "Flexable" after I am elected" in to an open mic, but nothing happens to censor him and he is talking against the entire nation of Americans, now remember Jesse Jackson wants him to send the TSA gun carrying untrained goons to Chicago, like they don't have enough criminals there already.
And to you who keep playing the race card, I have two,(2), Black God Sons, and 250,000 Black Masonic Brtohers in California alone, and I don't like Obama, and I did not vote for him, also I don't need his 'Dream Act' even with a Spanish sur name, because my Native American ancesters were here before the first slave ever set foot on United States soil, so try to tell me I am prejudice, it is not true because I dislike everybody equally, and accept or deny them as individuals, not as a race as I was taught by my parents.
Compromise if you have the intestinal fortitude to do it,(?), If you like guns buy them, and If you don't don't buy guns, simple solution to gun control, unless your to immature to accept a simple compromise of are a control freak and want to deny other Americans the same rights you have and that is the Pursuit Of Happiness as to what ever that means to you as an individual American and love your indidiual rights as outlined and gauranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
I don't expect any feed back on this unless you are honest enough to to afree to a very simple compromise, as I have no need for your approval of my view, all that is needed is honesty about your rights.
I hate to say this, but the way they talk about the neighborhood I don't think it was gang related. I do not think someone mistook them for a rival gang on their turf. Do they expect us to believe that this young lady and her friends some how looked like or dressed like gang members? Bullsh*t, this person was shooting at them just to commit a gun related crime on people he knew would make the news and people would care about. In reality gangs do not cause problems in nice areas like that, because of the police and the peoples desire for justice. Obama is pushing his guns views on America and he knew who was at his inauguration. Obama and his regime know that something like this will help push their agenda. There would never be any way to prove it but I think Obama and his lackeys have something to do with this; be it directly or indirectly. I also think it is interesting that the article said "there was a 40,000 dollar bounty on his head". Does this mean when a white child is killed we can put a 40,000+ dollar bounty on the head of the person who committed the crime or will it be racism if their black or of a different ethnicity
I don't understand how the president got into your paragraph. Crime didn't start as soon as he was sworn into office.
It's AMAZING how some of you know ALL blacks and then categorize them ALL into "ghetto criminals". You should know better than that.
I'll bet you don't even know any blacks.
Anyway, it's a shame any crime even NEEDS to offer rewards, and most do. If you saw something illegal, REPORT IT whether the criminal is brown, beige, green, purple, blue, black or white.
First of all she was tragically killed by a weapon,guns are weapons nothing more. Call you weapon a gun in the Service and see what happens.
Death by shots from a weapon have exacerbated the hype for "WEAPON CONTROL" and spread far and wide since Sandy Hook's traumatic event. Adding fuel to the fire by every news channel reprting every death from a firearm that would otherwise not seen nationwide.
The gang member mentality is you're not cool until you kill some one and that heightensyour reputation. Plain and simple truth.
Banning certain firearms and magazine size will not solve a thing. It was tried before and never changed the murder by firearm rate,period.
It's sad that morons like the one responsible for Hadiya's death can live with themselves after doing such a thing. I think there shoud be a law that if you are a KNOWN Gang member then a mandatory Felony chare and jail time should be impossed. That may stop the purchase of legally obtaing a weapon to a degree but weapons are delt on the street just like drugs. If you want one you can get one from a private(yet illegal) transaction.
The honest truth is senseless murders will continue regardless of any laws impossed on controling firearms.
Cash will get the killer turned in? Cash? Not the right thing. Not because of a moral imperative. Cash. That's who we now are.
Her family and friends have my sympathies. It is such a shame.
If someone will turn in the perpetrator, they'll do it because they care. Rewards don't make a difference. Most likely, no one knows who did it other than who did it.
Children are a reflection of their parents!! I bet you 1 million dollars the pc of @!$%# that shot her was black and his Mother has numerous kids and has been on welfare her whole life.. 3 kids all different fathers! I see so much of this it makes me sick! They have children so they can up their welfare check! And in the end look what happens w/ no mentoring from a father figure.. The Mothers of these children like this should be held responsable,, but i guess you could not take them to court for damages because they have nothing of value !! MAKES ME SICK!!!!
If you ONLY received welfare for up to four (4) children, they wouldn't have ten (10)....
How come Moochelle has nebber embraced birf control for inner city girls ?, instead of child obesity ?
Hmmmmmm ??????????...sorry 'bout the spelling
Sorry to hear about the little girl and I hope the person that shot her is found.
Sounds like the Hatfields and McCoys...you shoot one of ours we shoot one of yours...stop wasting tax payer money on these killings...these tribal killings are in the culture...eventually enough people will be killed off to solve the problem...