Nutter Fumes After 3 Philadelphia Teens Killed in Apparent Reprisal Shooting
Mike Dunn, CBS Philly, January 12, 2012
Following a shooting Tuesday night in the Juniata section of the city that left three teens dead (see related story), Mayor Michael Nutter had strong words for the shooter, calling him “a dog.”
The outraged mayor also had strong words for the parents of Philadelphia’s youth, telling them “not to act like idiots and a — holes.”
While Nutter says he is gratified about the quick arrest in the multiple shooting, he is fuming that the victims were out on Tuesday night apparently looking for trouble. And he blames their parents.
“Seven young people, somewhere between 14 and 16 years old, on a Tuesday night, a school night, are out in a car going to somewhere to have a fight with some other teenager. That is completely insane, it is irresponsible. Parents have to know where their children are and what they are doing,” the mayor said.
“Their little butts should have either been in bed, getting ready for bed, or doing some homework,” Nutter added. “Not out in a car, not in some other neighborhood, and not up to this kind of nonsense. I’m not your mom and I’m not your dad. We cannot completely legislate, or by policy, make people responsible for their children.”
Meanwhile, Eyewitness News has learned the suspect in the shooting, Axel Barreto, has a lengthy criminal record, including at least seven arrests since 2000, mostly for drugs. But on Saint Patrick’s Day 2004, court records show Barreto was arrested for illegally possessing a gun, but those weapons charges didn’t stick.
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And Nutter pleaded with teens who know the victims to avoid any retaliatory acts. “It is not going to work out well for any of you,” the mayor said.
“The least you can do is know where the hell your kids are, in the daytime, in the nighttime, or at any time during the week or on the weekends. That’s the minimum we should ask and expect from our parents. You want to have kids? Take care of them.”
[Editor’s Note: See the original article to watch a video report that includes Mayor Nutter.]
