Fourth Charged In Beating Death, Vigil Held

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Sep 29, 2009 5:40PM

After three teens were charged yesterday in last week's beating death of 16-year-old Derrion Albert, a fourth teen was also charged: 16 year-old Eric Carson. Neighbors also held a vigil yesterday, attended by around 250 people, that got a bit heated at times. An activist going by the name Queen Sister shouted through a bullhorn, "The mayor is out fighting for the Olympics, and our youth are here fighting for their lives!"

Meanwhile, the Tribune spoke to the mothers of two of the boys charged with first-degree murder over Derrion's death.

"That's Gene. That's my son. I'm not going to lie about that," said Sherry Smith, the mother of Eugene Riley, 18, one of four teens charged in the attack. "I do give my condolences to that family because (their) child shouldn't have lost his life over this."

Tamaray Shannon, mother of 19-year-old Silvonus Shannon, said, "He was protecting himself. Silvonus is not what they are making him out to be."