Gang Violence

Gang violence only takes place in big, urbanized, poverty stricken, low class neighborhoods and does not have any effect on middle or upper class areas; or does it? The Mall of America shooting exemplifies how gang violence can erupt anywhere and that no part of society is immune to this problem. As the mall employee in the article states, 搚ou just can抰 be safe anywhere. Every time you turn around someone is being shot, or beat up, or killed.� Why are events such as the mall shooting so common? Why do these tragedies even take place? What is the motivation for people to engage in such immoral and delinquent behavior? Do people who commit crimes such as murder fit an exact stereotype? All of these questions must be examined to properly understand what caused this horrible catastrophe at the Mall of America that took the lives of two innocent bystanders who were waiting to see a movie at the mall cinema. The violent occurrence that took place at the Mall of America in Minnesota erupted late while mall workers were closing up shop and customers and patrons of the mall movie theatre remained inside. Police believe this incident to be a gang related dispute that was sparked by a verbal confrontation between the groups who were hanging out at the mall. This confrontation led to twelve gunshots being fired and the killing of twelve-year-old Enrique Suarez and twenty-one-year-old Mario Cardenas. When conveyed to the public, shocking atrocities such as the mall shooting can have a negative and lasting effect on society. Could an incident such as this create a moral panic? What characterizes a moral panic? According to Goode & Ben-Yehuda, a moral panic is defined by five key elements. First, there must be a heightened sense of public concern caused by the event. As with the mall shooting, this is clearly evident. The statement issued in a press release by the head of the Minneapolis police department, James Martin, is a prime example of how these moral panics originate. He...