Murder Victim's Mother Speaks Out

Dante Young was a 13-year-old kid who loved to eat and play video games. He went to middle school and was hanging out with his friends two blocks from home when he was shot five times and killed late Sunday night.

"I want justice for my son," said his mother Yvette Graves on Monday. "He was 13. My baby boy." 

Young was gunned down shortly before midnight on the 300 block of South Orange Avenue near South 9th Street. He was taken to University Hospital in Newark where he died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

His aunt, LaTifah Ali, and about 10 others gathered around a makeshift memorial Monday evening at St. Antoninus Catholic Church on South Orange Avenue, "Everyone in the neighborhood knew him. So for someone to come out here and shoot him, it don't make no sense."

Ali called Young's death a personal attack.

"He got shot five times in his torso and that's personal and that's a baby and we all got kids and we got to stop this," she said as she broke down in tears. "I feel like us parents have got to get it together because this is young children ... these are babies ... too many guns out here ... it's too much."

Officials said police believe Young was targeted after an argument with the shooter. Police and county officials, though, were tight-lipped in releasing information about the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, said she could not discuss if police had a suspect in custody. 

Graves, who called her son "rebellious," said he was out late Sunday with friends, "It's the summer time. He was with his friends." She said she is shocked by the killing, "My son is street smart, but he don't mess with nobody."

Ajeeah Hall, who described herself as a close family friend who said she "loved" Young, said she doesn't know why he was out late, "It's just ... they see other people that's older than them and they try to be like them or fit into a crowd. But, I just wish he was in the house."

Graves said Young was one of four children and had two brothers and a sister. She also said he attended Lord Stirling School in Basking Ridge and that one of Young's older brothers attends 13th Avenue School in Newark.

Newark Councilman Ronald C. Rice, who represents the West Ward, called the incident "a tragedy on so many levels."

"The call must continue to go out that all citizens of good will need to do something, anything to positively impact our young men," he said. "We must put down the guns and increase the peace this summer because we cannot keep killing each other and dismissing genocide as just part of the drug game and its accompanying consequences. We are extinguishing ourselves and it has to cease."

Bashir Akinyele, a spokesman for Newark Anti-Violence Coalition and Voices of Change and Liberation, told reporters during the vigil that the city must address problems that directly cause violence, such as poverty and drugs.

"We're outraged, but unfortunately, our community is not outraged enough. Because if they were, thousands of people would be here ... and see what's going on," he said. "The village broken. Our elected officials, our clergy members, members of various organizations must all come together ... put aside the politics for a minute and help our community like our sister here who's lost a child, her baby."

Newark Mayor Cory Booker announced an anti-crime initiative on June 3, designed to make the city of Newark safer in the summer. One of the features of the "Safe Summer" initiative is enforcing a 10 p.m. curfew for unaccompanied minors under 18. Police officers would take the violators to neighborhood churches.

Donna Jackson, a member of the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition, said the city's curfew law isn't working. "We're talking about curfew and all this other stuff ... but you need to have the manpower and people power to do that," she said. "So, my concern is until you have a community effort to deal with this curfew and people understand what that means, we're not going to quell what's going on."

Booker tweeted about the incident Monday afternoon, "Nwk significantly down in violence last week BUT yest 13yr old was killed in a fight. Kids picking up guns 2 settle disputes: this must end."

Acting Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio did not directly address the curfew issue on Monday, but did offer his condolences to Young's family.

"As the Newark Police Department continues to address the concerns of our citizens of this great city, we encourage residents to partner with us. In regaining the safety of our streets, we have to be vigilant in holding criminals responsible for their actions," he said. "The public can play a role in this endeavor: If someone saw something, I urge you to use the anonymous tip line to help us bring the person responsible for this horrendous crime to justice."

Ali said she wants to know what Newark police are doing to curb gun violence. "How is a 12- or 13-year-old getting a hold of guns? Guns cost money. Where are they getting the money? ... What's going on? It's not right. That's our baby," she said. "I wish we would get back to our unity. We have no unity. This is not good. We are not raised like animals. We are not raised like slaves. We are human beings."

Listen to an audio broadcast from the vigil.