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Code of silence protects gangs

In the wake of a double shooting, a community forum in Town 'N Country looks for ways to prevent similar tragedies.

By JACKIE RIPLEY
Published March 10, 2006

TAMPA - The first thing Angelica Luengas wanted people to know was that her son, Sebastian, was not a member of a gang.

And the last thing she wanted them to know was that she would never wish the kind of pain she was feeling on someone else.

Because not only did she lose a son through violence, said Luengas through an interpreter, "but the way he died has put a stain on my family I don't think I will ever get over."

Luengas was one of several people who spoke during a community forum Thursday night in Town 'N Country. The meeting, organized by the Florida Institute for Community Studies, was prompted by a double shooting last month in Town 'N Country.

Sebastian Luengas, 16, and Michael Roberts, 20, died Feb. 20 in what authorities suspect was a gang-related shooting.

Two men, 18 and 19, told sheriff's detectives they fired "warning shots" during what was described as a violent confrontation with about a dozen youths who drove up to their property. The men have not been charged.

The purpose of the community forum was less to rehash past events and more about preventing similar tragedies in the future.

"This forum is about listening and about asking questions," said Alayne Unterberger, the institute's director. "We want to listen to what people here feel."

The roughly 100 participants, which included teenagers, parents and school officials, were broken into smaller groups. They discussed why they think young people turn to violence and to gangs and what they think can be done to stop it.

Teens brought up several factors, including peer pressure, lack of supervision and loneliness.

Adults too discussed the myriad problems facing teens, including the sheer density of population in Town 'N Country, along with lack of structure and parental involvement.

Afterward, there was a discussion of the conclusions reached by the individual groups.

"Teens often are afraid to break the code of silence," said Victor Fernandez, principal at Pierce Middle School. "We work very hard for them to feel comfortable."

That very silence, however, is one of the biggest obstacles facing law enforcement.

"Information is the most important thing," said Hillsborough County sheriff's Maj. Ron Spiller. "That's how we can prevent these things from happening." The need for more bilingual counselors came up often, as did increased parental involvement. But even more important, said Hillsborough School Board member Susan Valdez, is keeping kids in school.

"Schools have peer mediation, teacher mediation, mediation with guidance counselors," Valdez said. "But key is that kids need to be in school. We can't help them if they're not in school."

Jackie Ripley can be reached at ripley@sptimes.com or at 813 260-5308.

[Last modified March 10, 2006, 01:57:57]