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Longview teen killed on mother's birthday

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Post  Aaron Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:16 pm

Early Friday morning, a stray bullet hit and killed a 15-year-old Longview girl while she sat in her mother's car.
Around one this morning, a gunman allegedly fired several shots following a disturbance at Williams Chicken on Gentry Parkway in Tyler.
Tyler police say Nicole Cartwright was just an innocent bystander who got caught in the crossfire.
"I said no. I said no and then she said ‘Momma please let us go. It's my sister's birthday. Momma we've been planning this.' I let them go. I let my baby go," says Gloria Cartwright, the victim's mother.
That was the last time Gloria saw her 15-year-old daughter, Nicole.
"They wanted their little sister to go with them. She was the baby," Cartwright tells us.
On the way home, the girls stopped at Williams Chicken, and what happened next, no one could have predicted.
"There was an altercation and they started shooting," said Cartwright. "My girls was in the car with their friends, in my car, and Nicole caught a bullet in the head. The bullet came in through the window."
Police say a lone gunman fired multiple shots from the Williams Chicken parking lot.
Nicole and her sisters stopped in the carwash parking lot next door to eat before heading back home to Longview.
"Her sister called and said ‘Nikki got shot!' and after that, I just—everything went blank," Cartwright explained.
Nicole was killed on Gloria Cartwright's birthday.
Cartwright says there is nothing can fill the void, on what was supposed to be a happy day.
Aaron
Aaron

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Post  Aaron Mon Dec 27, 2010 12:14 am

You know its really ashamed that this kinda stuff has to happen. I see this type of activity a lot on the weekends. What I cant believe is how many kids are out at this time of night. After the club (Outlaws) closes all the people then go to Whataburger on Troup Hwy. Its ashame that these kids and adults have no respect for the buisness and other customers. Several weekends ago I went on a call to outlaws for a disturbance, a large fight with a gun involved. By the time Law Enforcement arrived all parties involved had left. Since I had been working this area for several weekends, I knew they would be going to Whataburger, I thought I would go by there and check on the off duty Deputy that was working security. As I arrived, there where approximately several hundred people inside the restaurant. Two groups of people started yelling at each other trying to fight. Someone started yelling that a younger black male had a gun and said he was going to shoot someone. Security and I started making everyone leave the restaurant. DPS, Tyler PD along with the off duty deputy and myself managed to get everyone to leave the property without futher incident. Thank God we all went home safe that night including the thugs. The two groups that where trying to fight, where between the ages of 15 and 23. Now that Whataburger has installed "No Trespassing" signs the club goers will not stay around. If they go inside to eat they have to sit down and eat or they can not stay. I really believe I stopped someone from getting shot that night just because I was being proactive. Its really ashamed that kids are growing up like they are.
Aaron
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Post  John T. Ford Mon Dec 27, 2010 1:04 pm

Wow ...
You are very brave and very patient to deal with those types of situations Aaron. Myself ... well lets just say not so patient. I am sure you did prevent another tragedy from unfolding that evening. I have commented on KTV's site about what I feel is the need for increased patrols in that area. Do you think that would help some of the violence? Loitering in parking lots after the clubs close is always the ingredients for tragedy.

Also, I commented on the attitudes of the people in those communities about increased patrols. Often it is met with resistance and criticisms thus perpetuating the violence. Are the people in that area receptive to help from law enforcement?
John T. Ford
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Post  Aaron Mon Dec 27, 2010 3:08 pm

Your right John, It is definitely an ingredients for violence after the clubs close. My son use to work at the Whataburger on West Gentry and he has seen a lot of this as well. He's told me as soon as the (Club traffic) would start driving in they would stop making food, go into the office and call 911. Tyler PD would roll though and make everyone leave. He seen the shooting that happened between the thug and that off duty police officer that was working security that night, he said they use to have fights inside the resturant every weekend.
You ask about increase patrol, yes definitely would help. I cant speak for Tyler PD and Im not going to sit here and bad mouth them but, they know that area has been like that for years, I dont understand why they let it go on. I rode with Tyler PD before I went to the academy and we cruised down Gentry one night about 2am. I ask the guy I was with what was going on, I had no idea they hung out like that and I even grew up not far from that area. He told me they were from the clubs, I ask if anyone ever drove through there just to check on things and he told me "nope", not until they get a call.
I think( just my opinion) yes the neighbors would love if the police would do something. I really dont know why the people that have to live around that area will not do something about it, even the stores that are still open, the owners should think about their employee's safety, Im thinking they may not know how to go about it or they maybe scared to say something, I really dont know. I've really been thinking about talking to someone about the issue. Its just like the club Outlaws. Drive by that place at midnight and look at the parking lot. I've talk to the bouncers there and they say you cant even walk around in that place. I have ask them what the maximum occupancy is for that building and they cant tell me. I have call the Smith County Fire Marshall to have them check on that place before someone gets hurt or even killed.
Aaron
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Post  John T. Ford Mon Dec 27, 2010 4:00 pm

The city council members in that area are Ralph Carraway and Donald Sanders. The shooting actually occurred in District 2 West which is Donald Sanders district. I don't know much about inside Tyler politics. I do know that these two men are the only black council members and neither has a degree or the experience that all the other council members do have. May be they are great politicians and are serving their districts really well. However, the stories you tell me coupled with the obvious lack of experience and education, I would tend to doubt their leadership. Once again these communities appear to be a victim of their own leaders.
John T. Ford
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Post  Aaron Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:00 pm

Thanks for the info on the city council members. Im with you on the Tyler Politics I dont have a clue about that, except from hear say, but you know how that is. I just sent KLTV an email asking if they would do a story on this issue and maybe interview some home owners, buisness owners as well as some Tyler leaders. And your absolutely right,Once again these communities appear to be a victim of their own leaders.
Aaron
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Post  John T. Ford Mon Dec 27, 2010 7:22 pm

I think that was a great idea sending an e-mail to KLTV. But, the reality is there is no way KLTV is going to bring accountability or reflect a black politician in a negative light in any way. They will continue, like the rest of this Country to play the victim card and perpetuate the very violence that robs them of their own children who are truly the children of this community.

Consider this. There was an article ran in the Henderson Daily News back in October about one of the early martyrs of the civil rights movement. The County has now erected a monument to recognized 16 year old John Earl Reese who was shot the morning of October 23rd, 1955 while sitting in Huge's Cafe on Hwy. 149 in Rusk County by two white men from Longview angered by the recent Supreme Court ruling striking down school segregation. You can read the article here:

http://www.hendersondailynews.com/articles/2010/10/18/news/06reese.txt

Now, allow me to be very clear here in the point I am about to make so all our trolling friends who visit this forum and never join to make a comment can possibly see past their own prejudices and discern my point. I believe that John Earl Reese is clearly an early innocent victim of the civil rights movement and deserves recognition for the crimes and injustices level against him. This I do not have a problem with.

The Civil Rights Movement is recorded between 1954 or 1955 through 1968 depending on what you read. During that time there were 39 martyrs including white folks, including John Earl Reese and including Dr. Martin Luther King. Thirty-nine. I am sure there were many others but according to the SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center) http://www.splcenter.org/civil-rights-memorial/civil-rights-martyrs it is 39 martyrs.

Ask yourself this. From the introduction of crack cocaine in the early eighty's until today, how many victims are there? The victims cross all racial and ethnic lines but, the black on black crime is appalling. It has produced this thug culture that rages on to this very day and is responsible for claiming the life of this 15 year old child on Christmas Eve, also her mother's birthday.

It is far past time the black communities stand up and address this problem. They cannot continue to play the victim/race card while the war within their own ranks cost them their children on a daily basis. Enough is enough and if the leaders in Tyler will not stand up and protect their constituents then I pray the communities have the will and discernment to vote these false leaders out.

However, I have little faith that this will happen. KLTV will not run an article on this topic, Donald Sanders will not address his constituents, Tyler PD will not police unless called, attitudes will not change and children will continue to die!

I truly pray for these communities. It is a sad story that will not end!
John T. Ford
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Post  Aaron Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:50 am

Very well said, I dont have any comments after that Smile That is some very good information. Thanks for the history lesson.
Aaron
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