Michael Ward was sentenced to 84 years in prison after he shot a 15-year-old girl at a park in Chicago. Hadiya Pendleton, a week before she died, was part of the marching band that performed at Obama’s second inauguration. Ward confessed that he killed Hadiya and two others in case of mistaken identity, thinking they were part of a rival gang, but then said that he only did it because Kenneth Williams, his co-defendant who has yet to be sentenced, forced him to it ; " All y'all had to do was sit down and really investigate this crime.Y'all would have seen what happened.", Ward said looking at Hadiya’s parents. In 2013, Hadiya’s death became a symbol of gun violence in Chicago, sparking vigils and calls for gun control; even Michelle Obama went to Hadiya’s funeral and gave a graduation speech to her classmates.
Question 1: Do you think this punishment is appropriate for the crime? If not, how would you punish him? I think it is, because is basically a life sentence and he is going to spend it behind bars. Also the way he treated the case, with no empathy to her parents shows that he did it with “cold blood”.
Question 2: Do you think he is telling the truth? What sounds like a more logical motive to you? Honestly, I really don’t know what to say, but I guess if the police investigate more about this crime, they will definitely find more proofs.
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Be sure to reply to comments on three different days. -5 late
Yes, I think it was appropriate that he is serving 84 years in prison because he commited a crime by killing someone. I feel yes and no about him telling the truth...yes he may be telling the truth or he may not be to try to make up a story to get him less years in prison. But the police will investigate on this crime more so we can find out soon if he's telling the truth or not.
1 - I do think that this man should have to serve 84 years in prison. He took this girls life, and for what reason? What was his actual motive? Why did he think it was okay to kill the others that he mistook her for? There is no good answer because what he did is wrong and he should have to pay that price.
Yeah, you're totally right. There's no reason for this man to go out and take someones life out of nowhere, and because of that he should be punished really hard.
Yes, I think he deserves punishment. Well I mean he shot a girl because he thought she was in a gang. I think that he was told to kill her. But, still, the police should investigate. Personally, I don't like hearing about these things because they are sad.
Yes, I have to agree with you that these stories are really sad, and the fact that he killed her because he thought she was someone else is even worse.
I agree with you. I think he deserves this punishment even though it is not for life, he will spent the rest of his life in prison. I don't really belive that someone forced him to kill her. Also because he wasn't sorry at all.
I do think this punishment is approtpiate for killing Hadiya and the two others becasue of mistaken identity, unless he was aactually being physically forced to pull the trigger, then his co-defendant Kenneth Williams should be in prison for the killings. I feel like he could be lying about being forced to do it and is just trying to pin it on someone else so he doesn't go to prison.
Yes, I also think that he is as guilty as his co-partner. And I alsothink that it is really hard to say if he is lying or not because anyone was there to say it.
Yes, you're right. He treated the case with no empathy and didn't care about the victim's family.Yeah, usually in these situations people don't say the truth for protection.
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