Honors Student Beaten to Death

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/28/derrion-albert-beating-de_n_302321.html

A video titled "Why Kids Don't Snitch" is how I found this article about a young boy named Derrion Albert who was beaten to death while trying to leave school one afternoon. Derrion was the perfect example of an innocent bystander. He was an honor role student who attended Christian Fenger Academy High School in Chicago. Gang violence and crime is known to be extremely high within this particular school district. There were a total 34 deaths and 290 shootings just during the past school year.
From what I gathered while reading, Derrion exited school on a typical afternoon and unkowingly happened to walk directly through a dispute going on between two separate gangs. Large wooden planks were being swung, punches were thrown and somewhere amidst the chaos Derrion was struck. He blacked out and upon wakening tried to pick himself up but was punched then kicked in the face. Many, if not hundreds of his classmates were surrounding him watching the whole fight play out. One kid managed to catch the entire brawl on tape using his phone. The question I asked myself is why didn't he use that phone to call for help and possibly save this poor boy's life?
Four kids were arrested and charged with Derrion's murder. Three are being tried as adults for first degree murder while the other is only being charged for not taking action and standing by as a witness. Why then, are the other students who gathered around to watch not in just as much trouble for not attempting to call the police or run and get help? As I stated at the beginning of this summary, I watched a video about this case in which a news caster travels to Fenger High School and sits down to interview a group of students about this tragedy. He asks why no one had the guts to stand up and do something to help Derrion and every student's answer was the same. None of them wanted to be considered a snitch.
I found this whole thing to be very sad. That we live in a time where children are willing to risk someone's life in order to keep their own reputation's clean. The students that were interviewed go on to explain that ratting out the four main boys responsible for Derrion's death could have left them with just the same fate. Unfortunately, I am afraid to say violence will never be something that completely goes away. In this situation the death of an innocent young man could have easily been prevented. I hope everyone standing around watching Derrion get brutally beaten feels just as guilty as the four boys who will rot away in jail.