Today's newspaper proves that the Sun-Sentinel is afraid to tell the truth. You certainly can't find it in Marlene Naanes' story about the shooting death of a 13-year-old boy, anyway. And it's not Naanes' fault -- the reporting was 0bviously done and the editors decided not to tell the full story. The boy, "Carry" Tromper, was with two friends when they got ahold of a gun. But you can't tell from the story if Tromper accidentally shot himself or if one of his friends shot him. Writes Naanes:
"Carry died shortly after arriving at Broward General Medical Center. Investigators say the boys had found a gun at the neighbor's home and played with it, ending in the fatal shooting. They did not say who was holding the gun when it went off, said Fort Lauderdale Police spokesman Sgt. Frank Sousa."
So the police aren't talking. What about the boys?
Her questions remained unanswered Sunday night, even as the two boys who were at the scene of the shooting told their story. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is not publishing their names because of their ages.They agree Carry and his cousin arrived at the 15-year-old's house and went in search of the game and accessories. The boys said a knife was used to open a locked bedroom door where the gun was found under a mattress in a room rented by a man who is not related to the other occupants.
Both boys remained visibly shaken and in shock as reporters spoke with them Sunday evening.
That's it. The boys told their story, but the Sentinel obviously chose not to publish what they said -- and even chickened out on publishing their names. Apparently if the police don't confirm it, it doesn't count. That's what's called being an official newspaper. To get the real story, you have to pick up the Miami Herald and read what's under Ani Martinez's
byline. In addition to telling us what happened, Martinez also reported Carry's real first name, Oles. Here's the crux of the matter:
Leaning against a Fort Lauderdale police car Sunday afternoon, Ducta Cebien, 15, told The Miami Herald he shot his friend Oles accidentally.Holding his hands behind his back, Ducta spoke softly and appeared to be in shock hours after the shooting.
''I did it,'' Ducta said. When asked by a reporter, Ducta replied, ''Yeah, it was an accident.''
Ducta said Oles tried shooting the gun twice into the air at Ducta's home, but the gun didn't go off. Ducta said he then took the gun, and it went off, but it was pointed at Oles.
The bullet hit the boy in the stomach and killed him, said Oles' stepfather, Didgene Melus.
So the Herald did printed the truth and provided information that made sense of a terrible death. Is that really so hard, Sun-Sentinel editors?
