Recent homicides on the Southside create alarm

BY SKY HORNIG

In the course of less than two weeks, Ward 8 of south central Minneapolis saw two homicides.

On June 24, two men entered a house on 33rd Street and 5th Avenue South, with the pretense to buy marijuana. Instead, the complaint alleges, one of the men, later identified as Alonzo Graham, 19, armed with a handgun, demanded money from the house’s seven occupants. The other man, later identified as Durell Bobo, 18, ordered Graham to shoot . Graham then allegedly shot his victim three times. The man was declared dead upon arrival at Hennepin County Medical Center.

Witnesses positively identified Graham and Durell Bobo in a photographic lineup. Both are charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree attempted aggravated robbery.

Ten days later, on July 4, a man, later identified as Preston Bobo, 19, threatened Louis Gates that he was in gang territory at 35th Street and Chicago Avenue. (Bobo is a member of the Rolling 30’s Bloods street gang). Gates, frightened, phoned his friend, Joseph Rogers, to pick him up. Rogers arrived and went to speak with Bobo, who was an acquaintance. Shortly after, Gates watched Bobo shoot Rogers, who died in Toni’s Market & Deli after crawling there for help.

Preston Bobo turned himself in to the police around midnight after the shooting. He is charged with second-degree murder and a crime committed for the benefit of a gang. The latter charge alone is punishable by up to 45 years in prison.

Two homicides in two weeks by teenagers and Elizabeth Glidden, Ward 8 Council Member, says that Durell and Preston Bobo are related. What is going on here?
Although the first homicide wasn’t technically identified as gang-related, it perfectly fits the bill for recent gang trends. Andy Smith, lieutenant with the Minneapolis Police Department and Metro Gang Commander, states, “Gang members are younger, a lot more violent, have a lot more guns and are quite a bit more reckless.”

The incongruity of their motives reflects this recklessness. “[There are instances] of gang members killing gang members but not necessarily over a gang issue—it could be a girlfriend.” Thus, of the 38 homicides in Minneapolis this year, it is extremely difficult to discern which are “gang” murders.

One thing is for certain. As Smith says, “[For gang members] violence becomes an option well before normal society would say so.” And, with over 100 identified gangs in the metro area, populated with armed, reckless and violent youths, this news is beyond disconcerting—it’s terrifying.

The other news—the good news—is that people are fighting back. These cases got three violent criminals, Durell Bobo, Alonzo Graham and Preston Bobo, off the street and into custody. Violence, in general, is being met with strong resistance, from a neighborhood to a statewide level.

On July 8, four days after the second homicide, a Peace Rally took place at 38th and Chicago, sponsored by Mad Dads, the Peace Foundation and three local churches. The Rally, said Elizabeth Glidden, “[was] to honor and grieve for those who had been affected by violence.”

In addition, new technologies are to be installed in the area. A Shot Spotter will pick up sound, determine if it is a gunshot, connect to the precinct, and then pinpoint the sound and what direction it came from. Surveillance cameras that feed into the Third Precinct will be installed at a few, undisclosed locations. All of these, Glidden says, are examples of the city’s effort to “improve and invest in our neighborhoods.”

And it’s not just the neighborhoods that recognize the need for change. The Gang Strike Force and the Narcotic Task Force received $1.6 million to expand their operations and activities. The Minnesota Gang Strike Force works closely with Minnesota law enforcement agencies, as well as city councils. By working together, rather than as separate entities, they are able to focus more closely and be far more effective, says Smith.

Furthermore, the Gang Strike Force trains law enforcement, as well as public and private groups about gangs. They monitor people who are in gangs and their actions, and take a proactive role to get those people, as well as arms, off of the street.

With state and local entities as prime examples, it is important to remember that in the face of tragedy, action is the only way to bring about improvement. Says Glidden, “This [kind of violence] is absolutely unacceptable in our neighborhood. We need to stick together and reach out to the youth in our neighborhoods.”

There are numerous youth programs in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. A comprehensive list can be found in the “Neighborhood Resource” section of the Bancroft Neighborhood website at bancroftneighborhood.org. In addition, the “What’s Up” Youth Info Line—612-399-9999—provides information about and connects youths to neighborhood programs.

Most simply, suggests Glidden, the way to reach out to youth is in our day-to-day lives. “Make an effort to talk to young people and to parents of young people who need support.”