Teenagers under attack

No longer is the killing of schoolchildren a rare occurrence.

The murder of Sumiyya Devenish, 16, simply continues a trend which began in January when Denilson Smith, 17, and Mark Richards, 15, were shot dead by an unknown gunman after leaving the Success Laventille Secondary School. To this very day, not a soul has been convicted, charged, arrested for the murders.

Sumiyya was shot dead in the bedroom of her Carapichaima home on Saturday afternoon. According to reports, the teenager was killed while she was studying at her Mandela Drive, Orange Field Road house at about 1.30 pm.

The student of ASJA Girls College has been described as a bright and hard-working girl. She is no more.

The young blood continues to flow.

Only days before Sumiyya’s murder, another teenager was killed.

According to reports, Mohammed Ali, 15, was gunned down last Thursday night while playing cards with friends at a shopping plaza in Chaguanas. He was shot 11 times in the head and upper body. Troublemaker or no, it was a death nobody would wish upon anyone.

In July, Michael Thomas, 19, was riding his bicycle in La Romaine when a vehicle pulled alongside him and occupants fired several shots. The teenager was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

Also in July, a five-year-old boy was shot during an attack which saw Selwyn “Robocop” Alexis among three men killed. This month, a 13-year-old girl was wounded as her mother was killed right before her eyes for going on Facebook.

These are just some of the cases that have been reported over the last few weeks.

What kind of country allows this to happen? Childhood days are supposed to be filled with nurturing, development and innocence. The teenage years are similar but they are filled with the dynamics that occur when an individual is in transition from childhood to adulthood. For most teens, puberty is a troublesome time. Now, in addition to dealing with hormones and emotions, teenagers have to keep an eye out for gunmen at their door. Or in the case of Sumiyya, a phantom bullet.

No one sees, no one knows what sealed her fate.

The law enforcement authorities must close these cases. The State must remove guns from our streets. Parents must be vigilant.

And all must preserve the sanctity of human life itself. This is barbarism.

We hope the increased funds allocated to the security agencies by Cabinet will make a difference. We also hope the apparently sweeping changes at various departments recently reported as part of a plan to consolidate entities will truly result in greater efficiency.

Until the bloodshed stops, however, everything seems like a mockery.

Meanwhile, we also take a moment to highlight the tragic story of Faith Gajadhar, a 15-year-old girl who is believed to have died by suicide. Her death has caused complete devastation in her family and her Las Alturas community. Were her cries for help on social media treated seriously enough? Do we value mental health? Do we understand the vulnerabilities of those around us, particularly the young? Ironically, this month the world will observe the International Day of Peace. The day is dedicated to world peace, and specifically the absence of war and violence, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access. The day was first celebrated in 1982, and is kept by many nations, political groups, military groups, and peoples, including the United Nations. We sincerely hope that when September 21 comes around, it will truly be a day of peace for this country. And for our besieged youth.