Gang mentality
An oral history on the evolution of Atlanta gangs, from the Miami Boys to IRC to 30 Deep
by Gwynedd Stuart @gwynnstu
Page 4 of 4
Redding has refused to divulge the identities of the two other individuals who were with him the night Henderson was killed. Despite Redding's arrest, 30 Deep's criminal activity didn't wane. In January 2010, a year after the attack on Henderson, 30 Deep members Jarquez Hood, Kenneth Copeland, Shannon Stillwell and Deaundrae Williams were arrested when police found designer jeans (bearing tags from a boutique that was recently robbed) in a home on Dill Avenue in southwest Atlanta. A police narrative describes what was found during that search:
"High end jeans were found in a front bedroom where Jarquez Hood and Kenneth Copeland were pretending to be asleep. There was evidence of the 30 Deep gang at the residence. The letters YRC (Young Robbing Crew) was written in large letters on the back bedroom wall. Bloodz and Bloodz 5 Star symbol was written very largely on wall behind the door in the back bedroom. A notebook belonging to [one resident] had YRC [Young Robbing Crew], DRC MBG 30 written all over the cover a black T-shirt with silver letters YRC 30 on the front and Free my nigga, nuk."
Even in the post-projects era, gang activity continues to be borne of inclement social conditions that have endured in low-income neighborhoods. It's a cycle, and one that isn't easily broken.
Former Deputy Chief Arcangeli: "Gangs evolve where other social structures fail. Where there's an absence of fathers in the home, absence of competent supervision after school, absence of competent schools. That's a ripe breeding ground for crime and gangs. These young folks are just reaching out for acceptance, and they find it in these criminal enterprises who need some people who are not subject to criminal prosecution, who are naive, gullible, vulnerable. And they're able to victimize them. So these kids go very quickly from being victimized to learning how to victimize. When you have strong neighborhoods, you're less likely to have gang activity."
Additional reporting by Scott Henry, Mara Shalhoup and Thomas Wheatley.
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