TO PREVENT
ANOTHER PARENT OR FAMILY FROM SUFFERING
THIS...
Kenneth Barnes,
Sr., was working
towards his
doctoral degree
at Loyola
College in
Maryland, the
first and the
only
African/American
male as well as
being the oldest
student in the
program at the
time, when
tragedy of the
worst kind
struck. On
September 11th,
2001, the United
States of
America was a
victim of the
most vicious,
brutal acts of
terrorism ever
in the history
of this country.
Like most
Americans, Mr.
Barnes watched
the events
unfold before
me, in a state
of dismay. Also,
like most
Americans, Mr.
Barnes was in
disbelief, in
shock, and Mr.
Barnes agonized
with the victims
and their
families.
However, to be
candid, these
horrific acts
seemed almost
surreal - it was
if Mr. Barnes
were watching a
movie.
On September
24th, Mr. Barnes
witnessed
another event of
tragic
proportions, the
likes of which
he never thought
he would see
beyond a TV or
movie screen.
Mr. Barnes saw a
tornado. This
tornado worked
its way through
the District,
down a major
highway in
Laurel,
Maryland, and
left a path of
chaos and
destruction in
its wake. He
remembers
thinking at the
time (as he sped
away as fast as
he could in his
car in the
opposite
direction), that
he had been an
onlooker to a
set of events
that never in my
wildest dreams
he would ever
live to see. The
twin towers of
New York
obliterated as
well as the
bombing of the
pentagon, and,
now, a tornado,
unheard of in
the history of
the District of
Columbia,
rambling down a
highway, right
before my eyes.
Somewhere in the
recesses of his
mind Mr. Barnes
remembered the
saying that
tragedy struck
in threes, and
what else could
possibly happen.
September 24th
was the night
Mr. Barnes' son
was brutally
murdered. He
remembers coming
home that
evening, still
shaken about the
fact that he had
just outrun a
tornado, when
the phone rang.
It was his
sister calling,
and her first
question to him
was one of
concern. She
wanted to know
whether he was
ok. Her second
question was
whether or not
he had heard the
news - his son
had been shot.
Only a parent
could possibly
know what he
felt at that
moment. A queasy
feeling began in
the pit of his
stomach, a lump
welled in his
throat, and the
tears began
forming in his
eyes. However,
surprisingly
enough his first
thought was that
his son would be
all right, that
he had suffered
some superficial
wound at best.
Mr. Barnes'
sister's
information was
sketchy as to
the details. She
knew that he had
been shot and
that he was
being
transported to a
hospital, but
she was unsure
of which
hospital. Mr.
Barnes then
placed a call to
his
daughter-in-law
and heard the
words that have
to be the worst
nightmare of any
parent. His son,
his oldest
child, his only
male child, had
been murdered.
When Mr. Barnes
heard those
words, it was as
if a strong gust
of wind had
taken his breath
away.
It was at that
moment he really
understood what
the families of
the victims of
the September
11th tragedy
felt. Mr. Barnes
understood their
agony, he
understood their
pain, and he
understood their
emotions. In
addition, Mr.
Barnes became as
one with every
parent who has
ever lost a
child under
similar
circumstances.
He felt as all
must have felt
at the moment of
realization.
Besides the
surge of
emotions, the
questions arose
who would do
this to his
child and why;
and then the
rage begins to
swell and
revenge becomes
foremost in the
mind.
Mr. Barnes' mind
raced as he
hurried to the
hospital to see
his son. Upon
arrival, the
nightmare became
a reality. Mr.
Barnes' son lay
dead on a cold,
metal hospital
transport bed,
covered by a
white sheet.
Needless to say,
the scene at the
hospital, with
the arrival of
family and
friends, was
probably one
that has become
all too familiar
with hospital
staff. Mr.
Barnes became so
overcome with
grief that he
became a patient
himself in the
emergency room
as he could not
breathe due to
an acute asthma
attack.
As Mr. Barnes
left the
hospital, he
immediately
sought
information as
to what
happened. He
learned that
there was an
eyewitness who
could identify
the perpetrator
by sight but did
not know who he
was. Through
conversation
with various
sources, Mr.
Barnes learned
that others had
witnessed the
murderer as he
left the store.
He found out not
only who the
murderer was,
but where he
lived as well.
Because of Mr.
Barnes' direct
involvement in
finding out who
the perpetrator
was, the police
were alerted
right away and
the killer
turned himself
into the police
within 48 hours.
Mr. Barnes
subsequently
became aware of
the fact that
this young man
had killed two
other people of
which the
authorities were
aware. In
September of
2000, from his
understanding,
he had murdered
another young
man in front of
a night club in
northwest DC
because of a
dispute over a
young lady; and
in August of
2001, a little
over a month
prior to the
murder of Mr.
Barnes' son, the
murderer
cold-bloodedly
shot - and
killed - another
young man in the
middle of the
street, shooting
him nine times
as the victim
begged for his
life. Yet this
young man, 17
years of age at
the time, was
still brazenly
and openly
walking the
streets of
Washington, DC.
Mr. Barnes'
heroic efforts
lead to the
arrest and
conviction of
the perpetrator
of these
horrendous
murders. Mr.
Barnes
understands
first hand the
emotional grief,
stress, and
shock of losing
a child. These
unfortunate set
of circumstances
motivated him to
establish ROOT
(Reaching Out to
Others Together)
Inc. It is his
firm contention
that only
because of the
efforts of a
community
working together
to include the
police, the
community at
large, the
media, and the
business
community, and
himself was the
killer so
swiftly
apprehended.
