Fifth Grader Charged With Homicide

Juvenile delinquency is now at an all time high in the United States. Children and teenagers are now being sentenced as adults and many question if that is necessary. Some feel that if a teen can commit an adult crime such as homicide then they should be charged as an adult. On the contrary, many still believe that a teenagers or child is not yet capable of understanding the consequences of their actions. A recent case dealing with an issue like this involved ten-year-old Joanna Ramos. Ramos was killed during a fight with another schoolgirl. Coroner reports have declared that the fight definitely lead to a charge of homicide. Ramos was a fifth grader in elementary school and examiners say that her death occurred due to blunt-force trauma to the head. Police say that surgery was done on Ramos’s brain because she had a blood clot and after surgery, the doctor reported that she was still alive. Less than five minutes later, the doctor returned and announced Ramos deceased due to heart failure. Apparently, the fight was planned and the issue surrounded another boy classmate. Issues like this are occurring in younger age groups each year. Children are no longer children; they are now acting out as adults. Police say that there were witnesses initiating the fight and watching. The fight lasted approximately one minute and didn’t involve any weapon. Joanna was alert and walking after the fight. Spectators say that she returned to her after school program with blood on her knuckles from her bloody nose but she also complained of a headache. A few hours later, Joanna became unconscious and stopped breathing so her family rushed her to the hospital. With the constant school fighting occurring amongst children, parents now have to be concerned for their children in society and while they are at school. Supervision and security within schools must be poor because we constantly hear about school fights or shootings in the news. School is supposed to be a safe haven for children to learn and also a place where they can get away from issues at home. At this point, school has now become a place where children don’t feel safe or secure. It seems as if these children are imitating learned behavior and bringing that behavior into schools. I realize that there are circumstances where children are a product of their environment but school fights and school murders do not only occur in underprivileged school districts, they occur nationwide. I feel that it is time for the school board, parents, and society to step up and assist with ending crime in schools for good.