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Week 3 Case Studies

Case 2

Enzo was considered to be a gifted child raised in relative poverty by a loving mother and an absentee father who sometimes paid him visits when he was little. He also remembers visiting his dad in jail. Enzo performed well in school but remembers having to fight off bullies. He was teased because he liked playing musical instruments. His neighborhood was controlled by gangs and his older brother joined one, telling Enzo that if he wanted to be cool then he too could join his gang when he was old enough.

As Enzo grew into his teens he knew that survival meant being part of a gang. By then he had smoked some dope a few times with his brother and hung out with him and other gang members. Enzo believed that by having a gang affiliation he would be respected and feared by others even though he had no desire to harm anyone. The night he was jumped (initiated) into the gang he was told there would be a test of his loyalty. He was to carry out a drive-by shooting on a rival gang. The next week Enzo drove by a residence and fired his weapon into the house. One rival gang member was wounded and a 6-year-old girl was shot and killed by Enzo’s bullets. He was eventually caught and now sits on California’s death row.