Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 7-26-16 Online Edition

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Baton Rouge Gun Violence Hits Home For Former Buc Warrick Dunn
Warrick Dunn is a former star running back who’s mother, a Baton Rouge police officer, was fa- tally shot his senior year in high school. Dunn now lives in Atlanta and is a minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He and his family enter the courthouse in Louisiana on Wednesday for the re-sen- tencing hearing of the man that killed his mother.
2 Dead, 14 Wounded In Mass Shoooting At Teen Event At Club
BATON ROUGE, LA --- The shooting deaths of 3 more police officers, this time in Baton Rouge, Louisiana shocked the nation. However, the story literally hit home for former FSU and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back, Warrick Dunn.
He grew up in Baton Rouge and is very familiar with the city and gun violence.
During his senior year of high school, Dunn’s mother, a Baton Rouge police officer, was shot to death leaving him to raise his five brothers and sisters.
After working through the painful memories and taking time to reflect on the events that took place, Dunn re- leased a powerful statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitu- tion on Sunday night.
“We can’t just sit around and talk about how horrible all this is — we have to do some- thing. And that means it al- ways starts with the individual,” Dunn said. “One of the things I am doing is tak- ing the role of fatherhood very seriously so I can raise a son who makes a positive contri- bution. And then we have to give justice a chance to work. When people are intentional about their use of guns against others, we have to make sure the message that crime does- n’t pay means something.”
Dunn also called for law- makers to step up to the plate
when it comes to police ac- countability and transparency. As well asking them to give meaning to the phrase “crime doesn’t pay”, taking away the attraction of committing a crime for young criminals and showing that laws will be up- held. Dunn asked that his hometown come together by cooling down and stopping the violence so that they can figure this out.
Warrick Dunn’s strength and ability to call on unity within his community comes at a difficult time.
The irony and self-reflection is even stronger this week in particular, as Dunn and his family had to attend a re-sen- tencing hearing for Kevan Brumfield, the man con- victed of killing his mother over 20 years ago. Betty Smothers, was a Baton Rouge Police officer, was shot and killed by Kevan Brum- field in 1993. Smothers, who was 36, was working an off- duty security assignment when she and Kimen Lee, a grocery store manager, were attacked at the after-hours de- posit at a bank. A single mother of six children, was killed and Lee was injured.
A hearing last Wednesday morning at the courthouse was over Brumfield's re- sentencing. Earlier this sum- mer, the The U.S. Supreme Court shot down D.A. Hillar Moore's request for further
proceedings on whether Brumfield has an intellec- tual disability that prevents the state from executing him.
Following the Supreme Court's announcement, Moore said he and the Smothers family has decided against any further steps to get additional hearings. Brum- field will be re-sentenced to life in prison.
Through it all Dunn, well known in our community for gifting single mother’s with new homes took time to send this message. He stressed the importance of youth outreach.
“One of the things I am doing is taking the role of fatherhood very seriously so I can raise a son who makes a positive con- tribution. I am striving to be there for him emotionally, physically and intellectually. I want to give him something I never had because the statis- tics proves it makes a differ- ence when a child has an active father in his or her life. And we have to do more to build empathy in children so they have a hard time treating one another badly. It all starts with kids, so we all have to care about kids. Especially kids at risk for never learning how to socially and emotion- ally relate.
Dunn went on to play for the NFL and founded the Warrick Dunn Charities where he continues to honor his mother legacy by making dreams come true for families.
FORT MYERS, FL --- At least two people were killed and more than a dozen others in- jured after a shooting outside a Florida nightclub hosting an event for teens, officials said early Monday.
The gunfire rang out just as family members were picking up their kids from Club Blu in Fort Myers, where the "no ID required" party had just fin- ished.
Some of the victims were aged as young as 12, according to au- thorities.
"We are deeply sorry for all in- volved," Club Blu said in a Face- book post. "We tried to give the teens what we thought was a safe place to have a good time." The club said there was "armed security" at the event for chil-
dren between the ages of 12 and 17, adding there "was nothing more we could have done." Al- though police did not immedi- ately give information about the identity of the suspects, the club said that "it was not kids at the party that did this despicable act."
Police said that officers re- sponded to the parking lot of Club Blu at around 12:30 a.m. to find multiple people suffering gunshot wounds ranging from minor to life-threatening
Of the 16 people taken to Lee Memorial Hospital, one died after being admitted and two others were in the intensive- care unit as of early Monday.
One other person was con- firmed killed in the incident, ac- cording to police.
Teen’s Punishment Became A Job He Now Does For Free To Help Community
Travis Durham and his brothers and cousin, Demontae, Thomas and Alan are working together to help their community by offering lawn mowing services for free.
LOUISVILLE, KY --- She meant it to be a punishment.
Kentucky mom, Barbara Wilson said that she tried to punish her son, Travis Durham, by making the teen mow lawns for free.
However, Travis ended up loving the job so much, by the time Wilson returned home, he had cut eight yards.
In fact, Travis loved it so much that he got his two brothers and a cousin to join him, and the four of them de- cided to do a free lawn mowing service for their community.
“We doing it for the commu- nity, people who can’t get out and do it. And I got my broth- ers involved cause I kind of showed them and told them the good effects,” Travis told
the news station.
“He’s the one that had the
idea, the special kid that likes cutting grass for punishment,” Wilson told the station.
The four boys, all around the age of 14 and 15, go door- to-door to offer their services to people. However, they aren’t always met warmly. “Because they’re young black males, people are a little afraid to open their door,” Wilson said. “They just shut the door, (say) ‘no thank you.’
However, the boys still truck along, offering services in Newburg, south, east and west Louisville, Valley Station and other locations, with Wil- son and her husband playing chauffeur.
PAGE 18 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2016