Justice
Prosecutors are still deciding whether to charge, 15 year-old Nehemiah Griego, as an adult for the murders of his five family members. Victims include Greg Griego (Father), Sara Griego (mother), Zephania (9), Jael (5), and Angelina (2). Nehemiah Griego was charged with two counts of murder and three counts of child abuse ending in death.
Each of the victims were shot multiple times with more than one weapon. One of the weapons included an assault rifle, in which President Obama wants to make illegal to purchase. Neighbors report that Nehemiah was home schooled and only wore camouflaged clothing and military dress.
It is interesting to see that Greg Griego, Nehemiah’s father, was once a gang member and had been to jail. After he was let out, he turned his life around and became more spiritual. He had started the Metropolitan Detention Center’s chaplain program. A program that helped inmates get back on their feet and merge back in to their communities. He was a very respected spiritual leader who helped dozens of inmates and firefighters find their way. Former Senator Eric Griego comments on the deaths, “Our family is grieving this terrible tragedy. We appreciate the prayers and support we have received and request that the media honor our family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Authorities do not have a motive for Nehemiah yet and refuse to put out any statements made by the 15 year-old. There has been a lot of talk on the causes of recent shootings, including gun control, violent video games, and movies. But how do you explain this horrible situation if neighbors say Nehemiah was not allowed to watch or play violent video games? Questions still remain, how would he have gotten his hands on a gun and why is our country so focused on video games, movies, and guns, as opposed to mental illness?
I think Greg Griego was on to something when he helped found Metropolitan Detention Center’s chaplain program. He understood that in order to help people committing crimes you need to show them attention and help them understand the consequences. This could have been a method for his son Nehemiah. Nehemiah could have been a troubled kid. I can’t say that he definitely had a mental health problem or illness but many of his neighbors saw him as quiet and shy. Maybe he was too shy to speak up or release his angry in a healthy way. Something needs to change. Why are we still not making decisions on mental health after there have been so many shootings since the Sandy Hook Shooting in Newton? The country’s attention needs to be shifted from guns and video games to what is really important, the safety of our society and the effects of mental illness.