A new gun victim in the United States.
The
Washington Post
recounts in an article posted online on Sunday January 23 the circumstances in which 12-year-old Artemis Rayford lost his life.
Shortly before the winter holidays, this teenager, a sixth-year student
(the first level of secondary education in the United States, editor's note),
had written a letter to the governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee, indicating his disagreement with a new law reducing gun restrictions.
Artemis Rayford was killed by a stray bullet to the head shortly thereafter on Christmas Day.
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In his letter, the Sherwood Middle School student denounced the July introduction of a law allowing persons 21 and older, and military service members 18 and older, to carry a weapon without training or license. “
I think this new law will be bad and people will be murdered
,” he wrote.
Early on Christmas morning, Artemis Rayford was killed by a stray bullet from outside his home in Memphis, where he lived with his mother and six-year-old sister. It was on learning of the student's death that one of Artemis' teachers made known the famous letter he had addressed to Bill Lee. Struck by the tragic irony of the situation, her grandmother, Joyce Newson, said she wishes Artemis' letter would bring more attention to gun laws and hopes the governor will address a word about it. "
The governor didn't show up
," she said.
That's why it's only gonna get thrown under the rug
".
On Saturday, January 22, the school district of Shelby County Schools, on which the school of Artemis depends, as well as the office of the governor had not yet made any comment concerning the drama.
346 homicides in 2021
In 2021, the city of Memphis saw a record 346 homicides, which included 31 children, local media WREG reported. About 150 children were treated for gunshot wounds. Sgt. Louis C. Brownlee, spokesman for the Memphis police, told the
Washington Post
that investigators are looking into "
this senseless act of violence
" and that the department is asking area residents to provide information regarding the incident. 'accident.
Joyce Newson told the
Washington Post
that her family gathered at her eldest daughter's house on Christmas Eve. “
I had no idea that was the last time I would see him
,” she said of the boy his family nicknamed “
Shun
”.
She received a call learning of his death at 2:38 a.m. on December 25.
“
How did this kid [who wrote] this letter about guns end up losing his life to a gun?
she said.
What sort of coincidence is this?
It's powerful for me.
»
In the United States, a child dies every hour under the same conditions as Artemis Rayford.
Joyce Newson said her daughter hasn't been home since the tragedy.
Stains of the victim's blood are still present on the mattress where Artemis Rayford was sitting, while he was playing the video game he had received for Christmas.