School board member's son urges people to shoot Black people 'for fun' in viral video (MD)

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.rawstory.com/sheriff-investigates-school-board-member-s-teen-son-who-called-for-shooting-black-people-for-fun-in-viral-video/

Original story
https://www.wmdt.com/2022/06/officials-investigating-video-of-15-year-old-holding-up-a-pellet-gun-while-making-racial-remarks/

WICOMICO COUNTY, Md.- Over 400 shares on Facebook and several comments later, a video went viral Tuesday evening, showing a Parkside High School student, who is also the son of Tonya Laird Lewis, a Wicomico County Board of Education member, held up a pellet gun while saying the words, “Shoot n-word for fun, you hear me?”

“I found it repulsive in this day and time that a student would say what he said in that video clip,” Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said. “For God’s sake this is 2022 man. Are you kidding me? To have that type of racist language spewing from the mouth of a 15-year-old.”

Sheriff Mike Lewis said when he first saw the video he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“This is unacceptable, thank God we had someone who contacted us; and I personally received a number of Facebook posts regarding this post,” Sheriff Lewis said. “We already had deputies on it, we already had deputies working on the investigation.”

His department took it as an immediate threat and sent deputies to the students house Tuesday night. There, they conducted a threat assessment with both the family and the home.

*snip*

[Hugin]

1. An aside...

Is everyone in that town named Lewis?

[gratuitous]

2. Repulsive and unacceptable

It's a start, and gratifying to see the authorities taking this seriously, rather then proffering excuses for the little bigot. From later in the story:

Sheriff Lewis told me they deemed this to be an isolated incident and the child’s family was unaware of what had taken place. 47ABC reached out to Tonya Laird Lewis to ask about her son’s video. In a statement she said, “At this time we are going to decline an interview. We are focusing on our son and his poor choices. Working with the Wicomico County Public School System and the Sheriffs Office.”

“The board member has been very cooperative, the board member was just as upset, or appeared to be just as upset about it as we are and has been very cooperative with law enforcement,” Sheriff Lewis said.

I like the "or appeared to be just as upset." Take nothing for granted, and don't let them off the hook too easily.

[Hugin]

4. That anyone anywhere of any age would display such casual disregard of human life and dignity...

in modern times.

Unconscionable.

[Initech]

7. Agreed!

White supremacists are the *LOWEST* form of scum on this earth, and yes, I am counting actual scum.

[Lunabell]

3. This parent needs to be questioned by the Board.

Apples don't fall far from the tree.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

14. The board has no authority to subpoena anyone's anything.

[Johnny2X2X]

5. Repulsive and disturbing

In other words, a normal Republican.

[Initech]

6. Just another "responsible gun owner" brought to you by the NRA!

Really, fuck these racist POS's.

[uponit7771]

9. K&R, another "well organized militia" terrorizes Americans

[Solly Mack]

10. ...

"I found it repulsive in this day and time...For God’s sake this is 2022 man"

Just to add...

That thinking/that sentiment/that attitude (shoot black people for fun) is wrong and was always wrong regardless of date, time, year, decade, century, or era.


I get so sick of people speaking in terms "that's how it was back then/during those times, how things were, "more acceptable then", etc.", as if that somehow made it understandable to be a murderous racist piece of filth at one time and that now is somehow different.

No. It was always wrong. Always.

No excuse then and no excuse now.

People knew better then, and they know better now.

They just didn't care then like they don't care now.

[Whiskeytide]

11. The same thought struck me. It was as if ...

… he was saying “I know we use to shoot ‘the coloreds’ for fun, but I don’t think that’s acceptable now days”.

[Solly Mack]

12. Exactly.

It's dismissive of the long history of racism people have endured and continue to endure in America. It downplays it by pretending it was somehow understandable "back" then.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

15. Really?

That's what you derived from his statement?

[Whiskeytide]

20. Yes. I think it was a very odd way to characterize it. It was as wrong in ...

… 1922 as it is in 2022, right?


I’ll edit to add that I don’t really think he meant it that way, but the fact that he said it the way he did is a pretty poor commentary on past race relations.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

21. So without knowing anything about this Sheriff,

you decided that he's.......what?

[Whiskeytide]

22. A symbol of how fucked up race relations have been ...

… historically in this country. See my edit. You’re right. I don’t know the guy. He seems genuinely disgusted by the kid’s words. But the fact that he thought it was worse now than it would have been in the past says … I don’t know … something.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

23. Fair enough.

I have a different opinion of what he meant, but that's what makes DU great, differing opinions.

Have a great evening.

[Whiskeytide]

25. You too. n/t.

[LuckyCharms]

16. Yup! n/t

[Solomon]

19. Thank you Solly Mack!

[Samrob]

13. This is a case where all firearms should be removed from the home while mental assessments are made.

Including assessments of the parents. That kid didn't just all of a sudden get the idea that he expoused.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

17. Assessments were already done,

the parents were just as mortified as the Sheriff.

[NCLefty]

18. Young Guns / College Republican material

I just realized Paul Ryan named his stupid book after GUNS.

[dalton99a]

24. The video made by the possible future mass shooter:

[JI7]

26. Many school boards are full of right wing trash

including in liberal areas .