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Upwards of 50 people, including representatives from the offices of Mayor Gavin Newsom, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and Senator Carole Migden, participated in a Peace Walk and Vigil starting from the Boys and Girls Club in Haight-Ashbury.
Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the slaying of Aubrey Abrakasa from 30 rounds of automatic weapon fire at Grove and Baker. There's a reward posted by the SFPD here for information relating to this case. And on it goes.
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My wife works at a facility at the corner where this kid was shot. He lived at a house on Grove that is a known gangster house, confirmed by an undercover cop that a our friend and co-worker grew up with. This house that Aubrey Abraska lived in is headquarters for a drug-dealing gang. His mother and father live there now.
Should we all feel saddened by this kid's death, or angered that a family could let their own child be sucked into their pathetic lives of crime?
Maybe we should feel both. But what we shouldn't feel is guilt, because we are all in charge of our own destiny. And this kid's parents could've prevented this outcome, but in their bizarre world, their child was a pawn and maybe even a sacrifice.
Don't be fooled. Aubrey got involved in some serious shit that only his family can feel guilt for. The rest of us can only be bystanders in what amounts to a ridiculous coming of age in the 'hood melodrama.
"Should we all feel saddened by this kid's death, or angered that a family could let their own child be sucked into their pathetic lives of crime?"
It's not mutually exclusive. And also, his death is for certain, his involvement in any crime is not.
Kids don't deserve to be shot. Not even drug dealing kids. Not any kid.
Regardless of what the family does, my heart goes out to them and my prayers are for them in their terrible loss.
Guest [1]:
You received different information than I did from the police. From most accounts, Aubrey was a good kid. The house he lived in is not the headquaters for a drug-dealing gang. It is my understanding that that house is on the next block down.
I know this family and the information given by guest number 1 is both erroneous and hurtful.
It further perpetuates the divisions and the fear that is created by gentrification. You can not just come into a community and begin to judge it when you are the foreigner.
There seems to be that tone here on the SFist that 'these people,' of the Western Addition are an 'inconvenient truth,' to NOPA.
If you want change then get involved in the communities you land in and see how you can give back instead of continually just colonizing (btw Leah Garchik on Tuesday in the Chronicle poked fun at a similar point from a write up in NYC- read her, she truly has the pulse of the city down.) Lorena
I am so mad right now as I write this I hope this makes sense.
Guest post [1]:
Who are you?
Typical.
Where are you from?
Not here (SF).
Who do you get your information from?
I suppose you would have to make it up based on how much the media has actually covered this case. So your ignorance might be understood if it not for the fact that is so off the mark and wrong.
Yet it is indicative of a society being satisfied with a cherry "story" picking news media that did not bother to report anything about this murder. A 17-year-old child is shot with 30 rounds unloaded from an AUTOMATIC WEAPON, on the street where he lived, whatever the "reason" is unacceptable.
-sanfrancisco4
I wonder how many people in the photo know who was the shooter but would refuse to testify.
I'm sorry to the posters on here, but I've lived in that community (2 blocks away) for 13 years, and, though I feel sorry for the kid and for his family, I feel no guilt over it. None. Poster 7 is right. I hear so much of this damn "stop the violence" crap and I have to wonder "who are you talking to?"
Guest # 1 you are so off the mark. The idea that his house was involved in nefarious activity is an untrue rumor that was spread through the neighborhood after the shooting, it is untrue. There are a few houses that are nearby that fit the description, but not the house that Aubrey lived in.
There are a lot of instances where the victim is up to no-good, and the "was a nice kid" line is thrown around, but in this case it is true. This really was a sad scene, please stop re-circulating a false rumor.
Guest 6 (sanfrancisco4)
The Chronicle did cover this murder
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/16/BAG1JKJBNI1.DTL
#7 has it right!
Another unsolved murder reminds me of the rerun 60 Minutes aired last Sunday..."Stop Snitchin'".
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/19/60minutes/main2704565.shtml
I even spoke about "stop snitchin'" with my co-worker before he was shot and killed. He actually agreed with "stop snitchin'" but luckily the witnesses did "snitch" and his killer is behind bars awaiting trial.
I wonder if this murder has witnesses that will come forward or if some still think the police are worse than murderers.
I live at the corner of Broderick and Grove, one block from this location. A 30-year resident in my building told me that, unfortunately Aubrey's home is a well known gang house.
I was there the moments after Aubrey Abraska was shot, and I'll never forget hearing his father yell at his mother "Its all your fault!" (his exact words). I don't know what that could mean, but if the shooting was totally random, I don't think saying those words would make sense.
@13: It meant their kid was just shot and they were in great distress.
I too, saw that Stop Snitchin' piece and couldn't help but think of this incident. I was on the block where this shooting occured less than ten minutes before it happened. It was a Monday afternoon for god's sake. There's a pre-school across the street. Somebody saw the shooters, the car, etc and they are not cooperating.
It is unfortunate for many reasons, but mostly because they hang a poster with a picture of this young man, also known around the neighborhood as Chedda'Boy,at the Barber shop on Divisadero where numerous gang members and drug dealers spend their afternoons. The same spot where a fight occured recently that resulted in a totally innocent motorist being shot in the head. The same spot where I would bet somebody knows something and isn't in the business of 'Snitchin'.
i don't know the family. i live in twin peaks. but i think that all y'all with your snitchin' comments are bigots. just stick to getting your drama from law and order and stop thinking that you know what's going down in the city. and i'll do the same. peace.
(this is from guest 16 -- again)
anyway, who cares about the snitchin' aspect?
point is, the boy was shot down by automatic gun fire and crawled to his death in front of a church. whatever you think about western addition, the hood, or whatever else, it's tragic. tragic.
what have you (or i) done to support those around us? especially our children. yes, they are *our* children.
just so you know-the boy didn't die after "crawling to his death in front of a church" (where did story that come from?). he fell right in the middle of the intersection of grove and baker, which is where we all saw him fall (myself and my co-workers). and he was helped by a nurse from the nursing home right there until the ambulance came. and he didn't die there. he died at the hospital...its still tragic, but thats what happened.
I posted the first comment.
To SanFrancisco4: We live off Castro St.; my wife works at the facility on the corner of Grove and Baker. I work at the Fillmore Theater. I walk with her to work several times a week; we get lunch from Courtney's and eat it at the Panhandle several times a week; and I frequent the laundromat at the corner of Grove and Baker, the laundromat that had its windows blown out by Aubrey's killer. So, sorry to say, I am "from here".
I'm not sure why I would have to make up my story. The media's angle on the story was that Aubrey was a "good boy" (according to his parents) who was innocently caught in the crossfire.
In fact, according to eye witnesses, the killer said Aubrey's name before he unloaded. It was a hit; it was a premeditated murder.
Why? What did Aubrey do to deserve this?
Nobody deserves to be murdered. However, even if we give Aubrey the benefit of the doubt--that he was not involved in any bad business with or without his friends' or family's knowledge or involvement--this episode illustrates the troubling conundrum of young black urban male violence.
You can't blame me--the gentrifier, or George Bush and Dick Cheney, or Starbucks, or freakin' Twinkies (get it?). Blame the killer and lament the fact that those who could have prevented this outcome didn't, wouldn't, or couldn't try hard enough to keep Aubrey from this sad fate.
To No. 16: What have we done to support those around us? We work, pay taxes, are nice to those around us, and generally try to spread the love. If you think I could've saved Aubrey or any other murdered black kid, then you're delusional. He doesn't WANT my help. Did you want some adult's "help" when you were a teenager? I didn't. I wanted to do my own thing. Why should some urban black kid be any different?
The difference is, we didn't have guns, and we didn't use them to settle scores.
Guest one: You are not human.
Or at least your theory that someone, anyone, could do something that would merit being shot down by automatic gunfire is dehumanizing.
Your argument only fuels the fear of 'urban black kids,' as you call them and their paradox. You are saying 'they' are caught up, so, we should just leave them all to die? Or perhaps assist in their genocide?
I understand, the woman you love goes into that neighborhood daily. Conversely, your comment and erroneous information that started this thread did attempt to strip the dignity and the tragedy that is pictured. The mother that lost a child is pictured, and you want to place blame on her?
This was a dialogue, we live in San Francisco, we should realize that the city is soo small. Any one of us could be struck by tragedy at any time. Then perhaps we would respond to these incidents differently? lo
TO GUEST NUMBER 1
YOU HAVE THE WRONG HOUSE,THAT HOUSE HAS NEVER BEEN KNOWN FOR DRUG DEALINGS,NOR ANY GANG RELATED ACTIVITIES. SO GET YOUR STORY STRAIGHT BEFORE YOU SAY NEGETIVE COMMENTS.
TO GUEST NUMBER 13
TO THE PERSON WHO SAID AUBREY'S FATHER SAID "ITS ALL YOUR FAULT" TO THE MOTHER HOW COULD THAT HAPPEN WHEN,AT THE TIME,THEY WERE NOT PRESENT DURING NOR AFTER THE SHOOTING. BECAUSE THEY ARE BOTH HARDWORKING PARENTS AND AUBREY WAS ON HIS WAY TO WORK.
TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN:
This really was a sad scene, please stop re-circulating a false rumor.
HOW COULD A KID WHO HAS A CITY AND COUNTY JOB BE AFFLIATED WITH ANY GANG RELATED OR DRUG ACTIVITIES.
Obviously, the whole story is not known, or at least told. I've been to community meetings at which the police talked about this incident, and I was at the rememberance the other night.
The police have a good idea who did this. They've been saying that all along. They either don't have enough evidence, or can't get a witness to step forward.
By all accounts, Aubrey was a good kid. However, based on some stuff said the other night, he was either starting to hang out with or had some run-ins with the "wrong" crowd.
He was most likely targeted, not simply a bystander. Somehow, he pissed off the wrong person.
There are several known "trouble" houses within a couple of blocks of there. His is not (to my limited knowledge) one of those.
Directly across from the nursing facility and fire station on Grove St. between Baker and Broderick is a house that the police refer to as "The Lion House" - a white victorian with distinctive multi-colored trim. This is *not* Aubrey's former residence, but if the police have a nickname for the place... Is this perhaps the "known gangster house" that various folks have referred to?
Indeed, there are several known trouble houses in the area. Just ask any police officer from Park Station.
to guest 21-Aubrey's father did, in fact, yell at his wife over the phone(he used the phone used at my work) "ITS ALL YOUR FAULT" He did, in fact, just arrive on the scene moments after his son was shot as many witnesses can attest.
The "Lion house" is the house I believe everyone thinks Aubrey lived in because those of us around Grove & Baker saw him hanging around there with a lot of other young men often. So maybe thats why there was so much confusion on that point.
to 19, regarding comments:
To No. 16: What have we done to support those around us? We work, pay taxes, are nice to those around us, and generally try to spread the love. If you think I could've saved Aubrey or any other murdered black kid, then you're delusional. He doesn't WANT my help. Did you want some adult's "help" when you were a teenager? I didn't. I wanted to do my own thing. Why should some urban black kid be any different?
--
wow. i think this attitude is exactly what's wrong with many communities today. you work, pay taxes, are nice to those around you, and try to spread the love? how are you trying to spread the love? obviously by not trying to help those around you. if you think you can't 'save' those around you -- murdered, black, teenager or what not, is not really spreading any love. if anything, i think you're spreading something closer to hate.
and, finally, if you've ever spoken to most any kid who needs help, most of them do realize it, but don't know how to get it or what it looks like. many youth have been continually disappointed by those who claim to support them and no longer think that there are people in their communities (family, friends, teachers, whomever) who truly care.
furthermore, when teens want to make poor choices, some fortunately have adults in their lives that guide them to make better decisions. and some youth don't. point is, sometimes kids need help even if they don't want it.
and i say this as a black, urban ex-teenager who works with black (and non-black), urban teens.
if you're without hope, fine. but don't try spreading your despair to the rest of us. fortunately, the responses to your initial post help me to realize that many locals aren't 'spreading the love' in the way you are but realize that we can affect our communities positively -- even the black teenagers.
POST#10: POST#10: one news article is not informing the public of much. How can people come forward if it is not given the level of attention that lets say was given to three dogs being poisoned in Marin 2 weeks ago was.
POST#1 & 19: I went to Pacific Primary, the pre school on the corner where this happened. So sorry, I was born and raised here! Your qualifications of being "from here" are nice and all, but you miss my point. To be expected.
You write: "In fact, according to eye witnesses, the killer said Aubrey's name before he unloaded. It was a hit; it was a premeditated murder." Are you the police? Did you do your own investigation or something? If so I wonder if you interviewed his parents or friends to verify your information. It should not be so hard to find people who knew him because he was really "from here". Moving here as an adult and knowing the neighborhood as you claim to know it is not quite the same as growing up your whole life there.
You also write: "You can't blame me--the gentrifier, or George Bush and Dick Cheney, or Starbucks, or freakin' Twinkies (get it?). Blame the killer and lament the fact that those who could have prevented this outcome didn't, wouldn't, or couldn't try hard enough to keep Aubrey from this sad fate." WHAT? Who said anything about the gentrifier, or George Bush and Dick Cheney, or Starbucks, or freakin' Twinkies?
Go back to your little world of pontificating the "conundrum of young black urban male violence".
(comment #1)
how dare you insult my friend Aubrey!! I grew up with aubrey, and i truly adored him. He was not sum ganster,bad kid, or whatever negative name you wanna "classify" him into. Aubrey was a truly genuine indiviual. Not only was he a great friend, he had a big heart!! The vioence these days, stem from the dumbest things, and unfortunatley young black men get their "feelings hurt", and take their anger out threw violence. But I pity you for dennouncing souch a great human being!!!