Last week Friday night at around this time - 16 year old Faron Felix was gunned down near his home on Gill Street. Police haven't made any arrests but the community has already passed judgement on a fence which they say Felix's killer used to his advantage. Keith Swift has the story.
Therese Felix, Mother
"We done know next year election and government will change but I am not waiting for next year - we have to take down those fence that they have there and put some light. Dolores put that pre-school there and no light is there. The basketball court is there and no light is there. You can't put those fences that way because you don't know who is behind there because the punk who shot Faron was behind the fence in the school."
And true to Therese Felix's words - last night residents in Port Loyola didn't wait for an election to remove the fence that stood around the basketball and pre-school. After 16 year old Faron Felix was buried - a community in grief turned its anger on the fence.
You are looking at what's left of the wall - well it was a fence really - that stood around the basketball court and pre-0school here on Faber's Road. This is all that's left because last night it was demolished.
Erwin X, President - Mothers Organized for Peace
"Members of the community after leaving the funeral of our dear brother, a very young brother who was killed as the result of the black on black gang war in the streets in the vicinity of Port Loyola decided that it was time to take the initiative to take down the fence."
Erwin X is the President of the Mothers Organized for Peace. He says he participated in the demolition but contends he nor any of the estimated crowd of 200 did anything wrong.
Erwin X,
"Well I participated in the demolition of the portion of the fence
like everybody in the community. We had sisters, or females that were present - the entire community. All ages were there demolishing the fence and I don't think it was only anger and frustration but it was a civil duty."
Keith Swift,
You don't think that you did anything wrong?
Erwin X,
"Well I don't believe I did anything wrong because what i want us to also think about is the loss of life and the attacks that have occurred. One life is more than enough. A fence is immaterial. What is important is that if we are to cordon off the area we need to have the proper fence."
But right now there are only remnants of a fence and that kept home more than 80% of the children who attend the Port Loyola Pre-school. School officials told us that parents were either afraid or cautious because of last night's incident. Erwin X says the construction will soon follow the destruction.
Erwin X,
"The assault on the fence is not a declaration of war. It is not even destruction. It is a process of reconstruction. Simply because we are saying that to ensure safety for all of us - including the children we need to have a fence that is transparent and a fence that will make everybody safe and that is what we will do."
Erwin X told us that though police were on the scene - no one was arrested. He said the entire process was peaceful. Again he says they plan to erect a chain link fence.
