May 12, 2013 – During the Mother’s Day parade in New Orleans, two brothers, Akein and Shawn Scott, age 19 and 24, started shooting abruptly into the crowd. Nineteen people were injured including two 10-year-olds. The brothers were involved in a local gang, the Frenchmen and Derbigny Boys, also known as the F and D gang, in the 7th Ward of New Orleans.
Last month, April 15, 2013 – The Boston Marathon was bombed by two brothers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, age 19 and 26. Three people died and over 200 were wounded.
Analysis
In both cases, the suspects were recorded on surveillance cameras and later identified. Coincidentally, the younger brothers were the ones first recognized on the tapes. Both duos were minorities in the same age groups committing murderous crimes in large cities. Both events took place in crowded streets during annual events. Both deadly duos were brothers.
Contrasting the tragedies needs to be split into two sections, since there are so many differences. In spite of the contrasting nature of these scenarios, there are parallels, leaving room for analysis. The first section concerns tragedies and law enforcement, and the second section regards the perpetrators. Each section is divided into six topics.
Section 1: The Tragic Events and Police Reactions
Media Coverage
The Boston attacks undoubtedly received more coverage than the Mother’s Day shooting. The Tsarnaevs’ faces were all over the television, the parents were interviewed, and all forms of media were covered for weeks. The Mother’s Day shooting received very little runtime on the news, and even news websites only covered the Scott brothers for only a few days.
Damage
The Tsarnaev brothers killed three people and wounded over 200 people with their firecracker powered bombs sending nails flying. People fell to the ground, immediately amputated from the shrapnel.
The Scott brothers wounded 19 people, and none of them died as a result of the bullet wounds. If people died, maybe this story would have gotten more attention. One video showed a young girl whose pant legs were soaked in bright, red blood. Who knows if she will walk again.
Crime Rates
For New Orleans, the Mother’s Day shooting was the third shooting for 2013, and it is only May. New Orleans is known for having higher crime rates than Boston. On January 21, there was a shooting after the Martin Luther King Day parade; rendering five people wounded. In February, there was a shooting during Mardi Gras, which injured four people.
Due to the high crime rates in New Orleans, it is easier to be able to plan a large scale crime. Law enforcement is so diverted by enough violent incidents that gangs can conspire to execute more deadly acts, because the cops can not watch everyone. Boston is not as overwhelmed with violence that when a disaster occurs, they can respond with more dedication.
Police Reactions
New Orleans responded with the SWAT team. So did Boston, in addition to involving the FBI, the city police, canines, helicopters, and bomb specialists. Boston had the whole city in lockdown. The entrances and exits were blocked, people stayed in their houses for days, businesses shut their doors, and all roads were closed. The police conducted a manhunt just for one remaining perpetrator. New Orleans had to find two, but they did not take extreme measures. It is possible that they did not need to do everything Boston did in order to safely apprehend the fugitives.
Older Brother
Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a shootout with police after hijacking a car in attempts to flee the city. Shawn Scott was simply arrested hours after the incident, hardly causing a scene. Shawn is still alive, and Tamerlan died by deadly force. Though The Tsarnaev brothers exchanged gunfire with police instead of surrendering like the Scotts did.
Hiding
Both younger brothers hid in order to evade authorities. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had to hide on his own, whereas Akein Scott had plenty of help. Tsarnaev eluded the police for four days. Scott hid for only three days. Both attempts were futile.
Akein Scott had four friends try to hide him from the police. They were Bionca Hickerson, Brandy George, Justin Alexander, and Nekia Youngblood. They were arrested along with Scott.
Unlike Scott, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was entirely on his own; a rodent in a maze with no way out. Boston was in lockdown. Without the getaway car and just having lost his brother, Tsarnaev fled on foot. If anyone saw him, he would get reported. He was alone and injured. He chose to hide in a boat covered with a white tarp, hoping to stay there until the lockdown ended, and people would think he already left the city somehow.
Section 2: The Perpetrators – A Fraternal Analysis.
Race, National Origin, and Religion
Both brotherly duos were minorities. The Tsarnaevs’ originated from Chechnya, Russia, and they were Muslim. They had just become naturalized US citizens. The Scott brothers are African American, and they were born and raised in the United States. Their religion was unreported.
Since America is still living down its history of slavery, drawing too much attention to dark skinned criminals could draw accusations of racism. However, once the word, Muslim, is thrown into the scenario, all fear of racism disappears! The media immediately speculates ties to terrorist organizations. Every news agency wants to cover terrorism stories, especially if Islam is involved. The Scotts’ religion was not disclosed. If they are Christian, then there is bias for disclosing one person’s religion and not the other. How many crimes are committed by Christians? That number is probably higher than crimes committed by religious minorities. If you committed a crime and your religion was a part of the report, how would you feel?
In both cases, all criminals who were captured alive were given the right to due process. Since the Scott brothers were US born citizens, there was no question in how they were to be treated. The Tsarnaevs just became naturalized US citizens; Dzhokhar became a naturalized US citizen on September 11, 2012, and conservatives wanted to treat him as an enemy combatant. Authorities read Dzhokhar's Miranda Rights late, after interrogators retrieved information from him. It is unknown if the Scotts had their rights read to them.
In both cases, all criminals who were captured alive were given the right to due process. Since the Scott brothers were US born citizens, there was no question in how they were to be treated. The Tsarnaevs just became naturalized US citizens; Dzhokhar became a naturalized US citizen on September 11, 2012, and conservatives wanted to treat him as an enemy combatant. Authorities read Dzhokhar's Miranda Rights late, after interrogators retrieved information from him. It is unknown if the Scotts had their rights read to them.
Criminal Records
Dzhokhar had no criminal record. Tamerlan had a history of being investigated by the FBI and the Russian FSB for his possible terroristic inclinations. Regardless of government suspicious, the brothers hid the production of their bombs and all intentions to commit the notorious attack. Dzhokhar concealed his character best by asserting his “normal guy” side on the internet and socialized in college.
Both Scott brothers had criminal records, but Akein’s was more scrutinized by the media. His history included two accounts of illegal weapon possession; on account of possessing heroin. He once resisted arrest, committed assault, underage possession of alcohol, and contraband in jail. This all occurred within two years. Akein was not too keen on concealing his crimes. For instance, police caught him smoking marijuana in public. The Scotts both belonged to the Frenchmen and Derbigny gang, which sold drugs. The gang was named after the streets where they were headquartered.
Motives
Dzhokhar wrote on the inner walls of the boat, expressing the reasons for the Boston bombing. The note said it was to avenge the US for its attacks on Muslims, and the American-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Scotts’ motive was gang related. They were targeting one person, Leonard Epps, age 35. They shot him several times in the chest. Epps was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
If the Scotts only intended on killing Epps, why did they shoot 18 other people, including two children? Did they want to conceal the fact that they were targeting a particular person? As if Epps’s possible death would look like a coincidence? They did not attempt to conceal their own identities first. They did not cover their faces. Their cause was personal, immaturely affecting innocent bystanders at a parade that honors mothers. Though, if they truly wanted to kill the other victims, they would not have run away immediately. They would have continued to fire, murdering the ones already injured.
The Tsarnaevs intended to kill multitudes of people, not just three. They had no care if anyone survived. The higher the death toll, the more attention would be drawn to their cause. Their cause was that America has unfairly slaughtered Muslims.
The Tsarnaevs’ cause was bigger, but they were more brutal by criminal intent. The Scotts’ motive involved only one person, which was linked to gang conflict. Involving other people was unnecessary in completing their cause.
Planning
The Boston bombing took more planning than the Mother’s Day shooting. The Tsarnaev brothers had to prepare bombs and select clothing to make them blend with the crowd. They had a poor exit strategy; no getaway car, no false passports, etc.
The Scott brothers’ plan was very simplistic – show up with a gun and shoot. Akein had friends to hide them later, which was a better tactic than hiding in a boat. However, New Orleans authorities captured them without a city lockdown in a shorter amount of time than Boston.
Afterthoughts
The Tsarnaev brothers placed their bombs and calmly walked away. Even as the billows of smoke arose, they quietly blend in with the crowd on the sidewalk, walking away.
The Scott brothers run away after shooting numerous bullets into the crowd. They made themselves stand out at the perpetrators, and conspicuously fled the crime scene.
When Apprehended
Akein Scott was “serene” when he was taken into custody. Both Scott brothers were arrested with ease compared to the Tsarnaevs.
When the police, bomb specialists, hounds, and helicopters surrounded Dzhokhar’s landlocked boat in a resident’s backyard, the young terrorist exchanged gunfire with police. They had to force Tsarnaev’s injured body out of the boat; he was probably very nervous, telling by the picture of his apprehension.
©2013 Caroline Friehs
Originally posted: May 29, 2013
References
Associated Press (2013 May 14). New Orleans Mother’s Day Shooting: Akein Scott named as suspect. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/may/14/mothers-day-shooting-akein-scott
Associated Press (2013 May 16). Akein Scott, Suspect In Shooting, At Mother’s Day Parade, Arrested. Huff Post – Crime. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/15/akein-scott-new-orleans-mothers-day-parade-shooting_n_3283574.html
Associated Press (2013 May 16). Boston bombings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev left note in boat he hid in, sources say. CBS News.com. Retrieved from: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57584771/boston-bombings-suspect-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-left-note-in-boat-he-hid-in-sources-say/
BBC News (2013 Apr. 21). Boston bombs: Officials wait to question Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. BBC News – US & Canada. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22232196
BBC News (2013 Apr. 22). Profile: Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tzarnaev. BBC News US & Canada. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22219116
McGill, K (2013 May 16). Police: Suspect arrested in La. parade shooting. Yahoo News. Retrieved from: http://news.yahoo.com/police-suspect-arrested-la-parade-shooting-040846143.html
Mungin, L & Martinez, M (2013 May 16). 2nd arrest in New Orleans shooting; $10m bail for 1st suspect. CNN Justice. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/justice/louisiana-shooting
Shuster, S (2013 Apr. 19). The Brothers Tsarnaev: Clues to the Motives of the Alleged Boston Bombers. Yahoo News. Retrieved from: http://news.yahoo.com/brothers-tsarnaev-clues-motives-alleged-boston-bombers-162101446.html
Vargas, R. A., Freund, H., Martin, N (2013 May 16). Mother’s Day shooting suspects have ties to 7th Ward Gang. Nola.com. Retrieved from: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/05/mothers_day_shooting_suspects_2.html
Vargas, R. A. & Simerman, J (2013 May 17). Low risk rank for Akein Scott, Mother’s Day shooting suspect, called into question. Nola.com. Retrieved from: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/05/mothers_day_shooting_suspect_w_1.html
YouTube (2013 Apr. 20). “They Were Framed.” Parents of Boston Bombers Speak Out 2013. [video] Courtesy of username: ADGUKNEWS. News Network: CNN. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWiOCrVietY
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