It’s finally happened — Black and Brown men shot in Trenton but with non-life threatening injuries — no longer matter.
Four Black males, including a 15-year-old suffered various bullet wounds last Tuesday afternoon. Reports noted the incident occurred in the first block of Stockton St. And, the fact none of the victims perished, well, consider their injuries akin to rite of passage.
Employed properly, being a member of the many walking wounded can be parlayed into rapper stardom. Being shot and surviving affords street credibility for those musically talented.
While Trenton leaders touted lower homicide counts from consecutive record years of 40 before a drop to 25 in 2022, our focus moved from the violent act of being shot to the more permanent result of being shot dead.
One should realize the four males shot on Stockton St. stood as targets for death. As several people have noted that Trenton misses blood baths because of bad shooters and capable physicians. Raise your hand if you or someone in full attraction of your love, has no problem with a bullet being fired into your buttocks, back or thigh. Yeah, didn’t think so.
Many news outlets hardly care about shootings. Sure, they will report these events although media loves reporting about murder with high homicide counts. Many interests peak when murder occurs where one rarely expects such violence. Four White males shot in Hamilton Twp., Robbinsville or Hopewell will produce a significantly different media reaction than these four in the capital city.
Location plays a role in matters of reaction to homicides. Trenton has had two women found dead inside garbage bags and another city-based woman killed and dumped on Route 1 in West Windsor. One can imagine how different responses would be if these circumstances were reversed, especially a suburban woman being dumped on a Trenton St.
Interestingly, a minimal Trentonian article about the Stockton St. shooting attracted readers. This blurb described the shooting.
TRENTON — At approximately 5 p.m. Tuesday evening four people were shot including a minor. Other media outlets are reporting, four males suffered non-life-threatening injuries outside of Rosilia Food Market on North Stockton Street.
Victims have been identified as a 15-year-old, 19-year-old, 20-year-old, and 27-year-old.
No arrests have been made and no further details have been released.
Interestingly, this report rose to a No. 2 position for the Trentonian’s “Most Popular” articles. Not surprisingly, a recent shooting of two men near a South Trenton bar with one deceased, raced to the top of the charts, ‘Number One with a bullet’ as Billboard Magazine once described fast-moving songs that raced toward national popularity.
Make no mistake, violence produces intrigue, no matter the outcome or substance of reporting. Four young men who suffered non-threatening life injuries after being shot on a downtown street offers ample information for clicks.
Part of the overall attention to city violence involves a reality that people root against the capital city. Bad news in Trenton serves as some weird affirmation that this city ain’t worth a damn and where ever the condemnation originates, represent places where people allegedly enjoy better lives.
The most important hopes for Trenton involve a commitment to education, winning a fight against poverty, construction of familial foundations and the cultivation of spirituality.
Currently, Trenton suffers a crisis of bullying in schools as our alleged most important commodity (children) face physical violence or social media attacks.
Wake up, people. We can change the course of Trenton with a coordinated and conscientious commitment to afford children every kindness and opportunity.
And, when people get shot, even when they suffer no life-threatening injuries — we better care and act.
L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Find him on Twitter @LAParker6 or email him at LAParker@Trentonian.com.
