Teen Basketball Star Killed When Shots Erupt Outside Birthday Party

Chicago Sun-Times:

The worn basketball hoop at the end of the driveway said it all. Ryan Royall lived and breathed basketball. As a standout player at Hillcrest High School, he hoped to earn a college scholarship so his mother would not have to worry about money. College scouts were already taking notice.

Read the whole story: Chicago Sun-Times

Comments

[powerfulimpact]

07:58 AM on 06/07/2011

Not to take the blame away from the animal(s) that did this, but WHERE WERE HIS PARENTS? Why was a 17 year-old minor at a party at 12:30 am to begin with?

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

11:35 PM on 06/06/2011

An autopsy determined the death was a homicide?

Huh !?!

As opposed to naturally occurring lead poisoning?

[highking1979]

06:31 PM on 06/06/2011

So when exactly are we going to declare gangs enemies of the state. How many young men and women have to die because of these terrorist before we stand up and say enough?

[gregcurts]

07:05 PM on 06/06/2011

The AA community harbors and protects these "terrorist" we have to look within.

[Militant Leftist]

05:30 PM on 06/06/2011

There's no better way to celebrate at birthday party, than with the aid of erupting shots.

[DredLockRasta]

05:05 PM on 06/06/2011

I'll get blasted for this...seems that when a lot of black folks get together, a lot of times violence erupts..... in recent memory some promising black athletes have been killed at parties.....the ucon defensive back, the drexel basletball player, and now this young man, plexico burress just getting out of jail today shot a gun while at a black club, etc etc etc...
so sad

[Trickery]

05:42 PM on 06/06/2011

I think Plexico Burress went to jail for discharging a gun in a crowded room (a club), though he accidentally shot himself in the thigh.......then he got sued :/

[thstolbe]

02:45 PM on 06/06/2011

hillcreast is a nice middle class black comunity but there are gangs everywhere!

[Ayesha Harrison]

02:08 PM on 06/06/2011

I was just arguing with my husband a few days ago about his 17 yr old nephew going to a party in a violent urban area. Although it may piss your kids off sometimes you gotta put your foot down and use your better judgment. I'm not trying to judge anyone, and I understand that accidents can happen anywhere, its just that this type of violence is more likely to happen in urban areas than anywhere else in America.

[AllowMeToObserve]

04:13 PM on 06/06/2011

THIS SMELLS LIKE SPAM TO ME!

[aroundchicago]

01:06 PM on 06/06/2011

Too many illegal guns are in the hands of criminals. Too few police on the streets because city treasuries are broke. What we need are stricter sentencing guidelines for criminals caught with illegal guns. I have no problem with law abiding citizens being armed, but unfortunately in Chicago it's only the criminals that carry.

[debrap424]

02:43 PM on 06/06/2011

stricter sentencing? can't afford it!

[ChiGuy]

01:12 AM on 06/07/2011

It is unfortunate that criminals are the ones carrying.
NO ONE should be carrying.

[Reazon]

11:59 AM on 06/06/2011

For some reason these Sweet 16 parties are getting out of hand. In my state there have been shootings at three of these parties in the past three years. Two incidents were fatal. In two of the three cases the shooting was done by people who were never inside the party in the first place.

[applesNpears]

11:53 AM on 06/06/2011

Aww that is sad news.

[ScientistfromtheHood]

11:09 AM on 06/06/2011

Poor communities in the United States would be nice places to live except for having to deal with the wickedness of American poor people.

Most poor people, in the US, have roofs over their head, food in their bellies, heat in their homes, electricity for their appliances yet they still act like animals. You have poor people from other countries coming here every year by the millions to enjoy our standard of poverty, but the poor people of the US are completely unappreciative.

It is their violence, and tendency to comitt crime, join gangs, and do drugs that makes these places unlivable.

[Militant Leftist]

05:31 PM on 06/06/2011

Round 'em up and put 'em to forced labor camps!

[ScientistfromtheHood]

06:59 PM on 06/06/2011

Forced labor? Maybe, if they're on public assistance and are able to work but still refuse to do so. My point is that American poor are not really very poor by the rest of the worlds standards. I grew up quite poor by American standards and lived within one of these communities. It wasn't the poverty that made life so stressful, it was the neighbors.

[amaboss52]

10:46 AM on 06/06/2011

Heartbreaking. when are we as a country going to say enough is enough to the NRA and the gun nuts. When are we going to wake up. I am gun owner, but I do not agree with the NRA's stance on gun ownership, too many loose cannons and flat out deranged people out there that should NOT have access to guns.

[Spawn Of Powerslave]

02:11 PM on 06/06/2011

You are aware, one would hope, that the state with the laxest gun laws (Vermont) also has America's lowest crime rates?

[gregcurts]

07:03 PM on 06/06/2011

I am willing to be my life that the person that fired that gun was not a licensed owner. Your NRA rant make no sense.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

11:33 PM on 06/06/2011

You are aware, one would hope, that there aren't that many major inner cities in Vermont.

Sheesh.

[Patriotology]

10:21 AM on 06/06/2011

The center at 10 Southland Drive was rented out for a 16-year-old’s birthday party and 300 to 400 people attended.

I don't care where it is, 300-400 young people together, at night, with alcohol is a recipe for disaster. I know alcohol wasn't mentioned but whenever there is 300-400 teens at a party there is drinking.
I'd be interested in knowing what kind of security is in place at an event like that.

[J0E1]

10:15 AM on 06/06/2011

No idea why he was targeted? What a terrible article. Don't tell me multiple stray bullets from a parking lot over hit a guy who was laying on the ground...

[LogicalMathMan]

11:19 AM on 06/06/2011

My thoughts too.