A San Jose middle school is reeling with grief and shock after learning that two of its students, described by the principal as “nice, hard-working boys,” were the victims of a violent attack on Halloween night.
“We’re devastated,” said Orlando Ramos, principal at Lee Mathson Middle School, where the two students attend. “It’s like getting punched in the stomach and you’re left with no air.”
Ramos told the Mercury News today that the 13-year-old eighth-grader is recovering at home from stab wounds, and the 12-year-old sixth-grader is still in the hospital after being shot on Saturday around 10 p.m.
Ramos, coincidentally, was the former principal at Richmond High School until about a year ago, where a 15-year-old girl was gang-raped Oct. 24 outside a homecoming dance. He had spent all weekend in Richmond, lending support to that community, before having to deal with the violence that befell his new school in San Jose.
“I didn’t sleep much,” he said.
San Jose police, who reported the disturbing incident Monday, said the boys, who do not appear to have any gang affiliation, were attacked while trick-or-treating in East San Jose. They do not appear to have any gang affiliation, police said.
“The motive appears to be gang-related,” San Jose police spokesman Sgt. Ronnie Lopez said. An 11-year-old friend of the victims told the Mercury News that the 12-year-old may have been wearing colored sneakers that angered the attackers.
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Students on campus today were talking about how at least one of the victims was wearing a pair of Nike Cortez shoes, a style preferred by some gang members. The story circulating among the students was that one of the suspects asked the young boys what gang they represented, even though the 12- and 13-year-olds apparently denied any gang affiliation. On Monday, Ramos said teachers, counselors and police addressed the “incidents of violence” with the students on a class-by-class basis.
“The kids pretty much knew,” Ramos said. “We’re a tight-knit community.”
He also said that the victims’ families were practically numb and did not want to speak publicly about what happened to their sons.
About 10 p.m. Saturday, the boys were walking in the area of Story Road and Hopkins Drive, a busy intersection with strip malls of taquerias, a liquor store, and 7-Eleven, when suspected gang members began hassling them, police said. A fight ensued and gunfire erupted, with a bullet striking the younger child. The older boy was stabbed in the fight, police said.
When they arrived, officers found the two boys bleeding and the attackers gone.
Ramos added that the two boys who were out on Halloween night were students who earned As and Bs, and had a clean disciplinary record.
“These were nice boys. Hard-working,” Ramos said. “They were absolutely not involved in gangs. Absolutely not.”
The 12-year-old was listed in “grave condition” at a hospital Monday night. The 13-year-old was sent home after treatment for his wounds, which were not life-threatening.
Lam Nguyen, owner of P.K. Market and Liquors, had heard a shot outside his store. Suddenly, Nguyen said, the 13-year-old, still bleeding from his hands, rushed in and told him there had been a shooting outside and to “please, please, call the police.”
He then went outside and saw the young child in a black cape, with a bag of candy, lying in the parking lot in the Sunset Garden Plaza, across the street from Poco Way.
“It was just a little kid with a backpack on,” Nguyen said.
Police declined to identify the victims or release details of the attack because detectives were still looking for leads and suspects.
Read the story, and it made me want to cry. Gosh there’s so many fucked up people in the world to do that to two kids who were trick or treating. All over shoes?!
I hate these nights where I can’t sleep and my knee’s killing me! I don’t even know how all this knee shit started again, but it’s been throbbing like every night -_- Hella hurts, and I ran out of IcyHot yesterday :( BOOOO!
Anyways, I had class this morning. So tiring, but it was cool I guess. It’s just yoga afterall, no big deal. Anyways, my yoga instructor told the class that we only had on class session left and the next time we see each other is going to be in December. Hella far away. I actually like going to yoga though. I’ve become more flexible because of it. Pretty cool!
I’m kinda disappointed on my LUSH purchases that I was anticipating for like a whole week! Thu brought it to my house Tuesday morning after it arrived to her house Monday night. Mmm, I haven’t tried all of it yet though. I only tried the soaps, which are okay but it doesn’t smell that great like I had hoped. One of them exfoliates well though, so that’s a plus. I used the shampoo puck, and it leaves my hair smelling like jasmine. Maybe I’m not used to that scent, but it’s pretty strong. As for everything else, I haven’t tried it yet. I hope it turns out great, because there was so much hype about it.
Anyways, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays stress me the hell out! Well, no I take that back. It doesn’t stress me out, it’s just exhausting! School from like 9-4 or 5 depending on the day, then work from after school until 8, then go home do whatever homework I have and then catch some zzzzs at around 1. Wake up and do the whole thing over again. It’s all falling into a pitiful routine. Oh well $100 a week for 8 hrs. I’m cool with that.
I just paid off my Bally membership a couple days ago. Deng, $700 for a gym I hardly go to. Fuckk that, I hella have to like find somewhere in the day to go to Bally’s to get my $$ worth.
I’m hella bumming. I wanna go to Quoc’s and Johnny’s parties so bad tomorrow. But I have to take my baby bro trick or treating. Hopefully, when my mom goes home, she’ll let me go. I doubt it though since she’s been so scared and paranoid since the robbery.
Lastly, I’m sick. Anyone who’s close to me knows that I hate hate hate being sick, especially when it has to do with my throat. OMG! I thought all my hospital visits in ‘08 would let me get off with not becoming sick free in ‘09 but nope. My heads been pounding all day! aiyayaya! Gotta sleep. Toodles
I feel like I’m in a rut nowadays. I just feel so empty inside. Have you ever had that feeling? When everything in your life is just simply okay? Not dramatic yet not exactly interesting. I just feel like I’m just coasting in life and somwhere along the way, I’ve lost my way. I just feel like I’ve stopped living myself and started living for others.
Every weekend has been the same old routine. “Angela, watch Anthony, and clean the house.” I feel like I’m losing the spark in my life. It’s like, what’s there to live for? That might sound like hella emo shit but still. Doesn’t that question ever run your mind?
As much as I love my brother, I’m starting to resent him a little. Actually I resent both my brothers a little. Even though Kao is older, my parents don’t rely on him like they rely on me. He has the freedom that I long for. And even though I love Anthony tons, he’ll never have to go through what I’m going through when he’s my age. He’ll get to have the senior year that I couldn’t have.
I miss the days in 2007 and early 2009. I miss the adventures I used to have. Sneaking out, staying out late, having fun and living life for me. I didn’t care about the consequences, I didn’t think about what if this happened and what if that happened. Karaoking in the car, 4am meals @ Carrows and Dennys, Bowling @ 300, speeding down the empty freeways, parties at J’s house. Everything was going great. And then it all ended.
I guess I miss the part of me that didn’t really care for the rules. The part of me that wasn’t scared to do what she wanted to do. Somewhere along the way, I lost that girl and I want her back. I think, most of all I miss those people in my life. ‘07 and half of ‘09 was a great time for me. It changed how I was as a person and I miss those who’ve guided me along the way.
BTW, I’m loving Tupac at the moment.
“Even though it wasn’t me, I could feel the grief. Thinkin with your brains blown that would make the pain go. No! You got to find a way to survive cause they win when your soul dies. Baby please don’t cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up.”
LYRICAL GENIUS ^^
