Elm St. Shooting

Gun violence is taking its toll on Monroe, LA and northeast LA. One of the ten commandments - Love thy neighbor as thy self - seems to now be nonsexist, especially with youth and young adults. There's an African proverb that states, "A child that is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth." What is missing in our youth is love. Before integration and twenty-five years after, if children didn't receive love at home, they got real love at school. The powers that be figured this out, removed corporal punishment from the classroom and devised a watered down approach to proving much-needed structure in schools. Many presume such significant changes have been disastrous to the Black community.

According to police reports, a shooting occurred in the 4200 Block of Elm St. where two victims were inflicted with gunshot wounds while they sat inside a vehicle. The victims were 19 and 12 years of age. Suspect Tynedria Meneweather, who was allegedly involved, turned herself into police. Police have also arrested Terrikiris "Cooter Roo" Smith in connection with the Elm St. shooting. Suspect Meneweather was charged with attempted second-degree murder, and Smith was charged with five counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of disturbing the peace/ simple assault. There are three sides to every story. This was one side of this story. The Monroe Dispatch welcomes another or the other side of this story.

Photo Suspect Tynedria Meneweather

Photo Suspect Terrikiris Smith