While the teens in Waukesha are, for the most part, good, intelligent kids, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t still easily impressionable or immune to peer pressure. This is often especially true in their associations with older college-age or adult friends. Teens will sometimes put misplaced trust in those older friends’ judgment, thinking that adult experience makes their suggestions and advice more sound. Sadly, too many teens allow this thinking to lead them to follow their older friends in making some really poor choices, often resulting in criminal consequences.
A recent robbery in Racine seems to support this idea. A 16-year-old boy stands accused of partnering with a 21-year-old man to hold up a local grocery store. Although specific details haven’t been released, it was reported that shots were fired, leaving a store customer shot in the chest and the 16-year-old with a gunshot wound to the leg. Police found him not long after and took him to a local hospital for treatment, after which he was arrested for his involvement in the robbery. The exact charges against him have yet to be revealed by authorities. Thankfully, the customer who was shot is projected to recover.
The sad predicament of this teen is shared by many others who get caught up in the criminal designs of older so-called friends. Too often, the penalties that they’re forced to endure often serve to turn them into the same types of adults who got them in trouble in the first place. Parents wanting to avoid this happening to their teens may wish to work with an attorney experienced in handling cases involving juvenile crimes if and when their teens get in trouble.
Source: WQOW.com “Customer shot during grocery store holdup” Dec. 03, 2013