Page 3 - 3-24-15 Tuesday's Edition

Features
14-Year-Old Shot To
Group Wants Kids To Know History Of Black Cowboys
These members of the Cowbros are: Fred Carter, Daniel James, Earl Blake, David Woodard, Bernard Black, Carey White, Corey Nor- phlet, Melton Johnson, Devin Ray, Sr. and Reuben Rendon (kneel-
Death At Birthday Party
The police are investigat- ing the murder of a student. He was fatally wounded while attending a party Sat- urday night.
According to the Tampa Police, the shooting took place at 8105 9th Avenue Sat- urday night. Richard New- ton, 14, was reportedly attending a birthday party when a fight broke out. The fight escalated into gunfire and Newton was struck by a bullet. He died as a result of his injuries.
Police said they are un- sure if Newton was in- volved in the fight and the investigation is continuing.
Ms. Laura McElroy,
spokesperson for the Tampa Police Department said, “It was a dual celebration. It was a birthday party and a vigil for Ikeem Boswell, who was killed the week be- fore.
“There were about 40 people there when the shoot- ing happened and then the crowd grew to about 100 people. We have talked to
RICHARD NEWTON 9/20/2000 - 3/21/2015
some people, but we believe there are more witnesses who haven’t come forward. The frustrating thing is that some people don’t want to get involved and others think someone else will get in- volved.”
She further stated that the stories of what led up to the shooting differ and police have not determined what transpired before the dis- agreement erupted in gun- fire.
The shooting death of Boswell as well as the shooting death of Newton remains very active investi- gations.
Newton is the 14th per- son to die this year in the city limits of Tampa.
Newton was a 7th grade student at Van Buren Middle School. A spokesperson for the Hillsborough County School District said, “It ap- pears that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We have the Crisis Team at the school this morning.”
A spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Med- ical Examiner said the family had not selected a funeral home to handle Newton’s arrangements as of press time.
Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call (813) 231- 6130 or Crime Stoppers at 1- 800-873-TIPS (8477). Callers can remain anony- mous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $3,000.
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
A group of African-Ameri- can men who love being in the outdoors have decided they want to reach out to children (and adults) in the inner city to make them aware of the history of Black Cowboys.
“As our contribution to Black History Month in Febru- ary, we rode our horses through East Tampa and were overwhelmed by the response we got as we went through pub- lic housing,” one of the mem- bers, Melton Johnson, said.
The group, who identify themselves as the “Cowbros,” say they want to share their “passion and knowledge of horses. The history of Black Cowboys has been ignored far too long. People know very lit- tle about Black Cowboys and we intend to share what we
know.”
While the Cowbros don’t
see themselves as anything spe- cial, unique or different, the community has indicated oth- erwise by their overwhelming support.
“We are a group of Black men who just get together to ride, socialize and mentor youth. We have made several appearances in parades, fundraisers, and other social and community events over the past two years,” Johnson fur- ther explained.
The month of March the Cowbros spent an afternoon in the West Tampa Community. They also have plans to ride through Sulphur Springs, Rob- les Park, Riverview Terrace, Tampa Park, Ybor City and other inner city communities. “We will be appearing in a dif- ferent neighborhood each month,” he said.
TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3