Who Couldn't Find Deidrick Johnson?

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"The number of cases with custody orders exceeds the number of respondents because there are a number of respondents who have multiple cases."

Since Dec. 31, 2006, a startling 81 percent increase in youths with custody orders on their heads; today there are more than 300 youths still to be tracked down. But who cares in this city?

I leave you with the words of Maria A. Lewis, the mother of a 15-year-old boy who was among the shooting victims:

"I am writing to you to tell you that the city has no regard for youth here. Yes, the mayor talks and says that he wants to help, but in all reality . . . if it is not about money, then it don't matter.

"My son has a bullet [lodged] too close to his heart for the doctors to move it. He could survive or later die from this incident, depending on which way the bullet will shift and if they catch it in time.

"I blame this system for what happened to my son, and I can assure you that most of the city blames the system as well.

"This was not just your random shooting from neighborhoods having a beef with one another.

"My child never knew or seen this kid before in his life; he was just walking to basketball practice when the boy pulled up beside him and his friends and opened fire . . . this was . . . a kid who should have been monitored by city leaders and officials, that decided on Jan. 11, 2008, he would play Billy the Kid and shoot'em-up bang bang with innocent kids."

kingc@washpost.com

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