UPDATE: 2 Teens Arrested For Murder of Terrance Wright; Family Says He Was Killed Because He Was Gay

18 year-old Terrance  “Jawan” Wright was shot and killed on October 19th after being attacked by five young men.

According to police, Wright was simply the victim of a robbery.

But according to the young man’s family, Terrance was targeted because he was gay.

From Edge Chicago:

“What they going to rob him of – his books?” Bouldin told CBS.

“I believe they only did that to him because he was gay,” Wright’s 16-year-old brother, Javone, said.

Bouldin says his nephew was a victim of bullying and endured harassment inside and outside of school. Wright even transfered schools last year because of the constant harassment.

His uncle wants officials to investigate the murder as a hate crime. “It breaks my heart the way he died because he didn’t have to die like that,” Essie James, Wright’s grandmother told Chicago’s WGN TV. “He went to school every day. Jawan loved to dance and to work on the computer.”

Other members of Wright’s family were equally upset about Wright’s death, including the high school student’s cousin. “They had to kill my cousin because he was gay. That’s crazy,” said Kenyatta Rogers. “He’s gone. Part of me is gone,” Rodgers added.

Read more at edgechicago.com

Are sincerest condolences to Terrance’s family. This was a tragic, senseless loss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE (10/31/12)

According to the Chicago Tribune, two teenage boys have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of Terrance “Jewan” Wright.

One, a 16 year-old named Jerone Carter, and the other just 14 years old.

Wright’s family still believes his sexuality was behind the fatal attack. Terrance had recently transferred schools to escape bullying.

From the Tribune:

According to the victim’s aunt, Kathy Jackson, Wright had been picked on at his previous high school because he was gay, which led him to transfer to Banner last year. He quickly made new friends, she said.

“He had made a big turnaround from the old school to this one,” Jackson said. “And now this happened.”

Read more at chicagotribune.com

Where the cops premature in their analysis of this case?

How can we make our communities a safer place of all of our young people, regardless of sexual orientation?

Sound off below!