Q: Mr. Federal Way, why did the Federal Way Police Department send their administration to the murdered teenager’s candlelight vigil but God forbid no one from South King Fire and Rescue came to the memorial for the young girl who died when a tree fell on her in August? Innocent child playing with her friends… but attend a vigil where the victim had been selling drugs, then murdered. I’m curious.
A: Mr. Federal Way thinks a brief lesson on the definitions of the words “murder” and “accident” is in order: According to some dictionary somewhere, murder is the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. An accident is a great unfortunate incident, unexpected and unintentional, typically resulting in damage or injury. Now, let’s break it down. Wesley Gennings, the 16-year-old who was murdered, had a candlelight vigil, two actually, but this one was on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at Decatur High School. Police were there to likely pay respects but, more importantly, they were there to do their job. At that time there was an active investigation into who and where his murderers were. Is it very smart to not make an appearance at a murder victim’s memorial when there are at least a hundred tips or potential suspects that could show up? As for the little girl, Mr. Federal Way doesn’t know if firefighters attended her memorial, but her death is entirely different. The family might not have wanted them there or maybe they had agreed to attend, but oops – they had to try to save a woman from a burning house or extricate a man from a mangled vehicle.
Mr. Federal Way also wants to know why everyone in the community is so focused on the fact that the kid was selling marijuana to his peers. It doesn’t negate the fact that he was successful in school, aspired to be an NFL star and loved his mom. Mistakes like that shouldn’t define us, especially teenagers who lose their lives over something as insignificant as selling some weed to supposed friends on a Saturday night. If you’re a Baby Boomer like Mr. Federal Way, then you know that leaders of the free world have done worse than what this kid did.
Q: Mr. Federal Way, I saw on the Mirror’s website that Federal Way has already had four bank robberies in the first two months of 2016. The article said 2015 saw a total of three. Didn’t the mayor just announce that crime was down?
A: You are correct: Federal Way has had an increase in bank robberies compared to last year. What’s most alarming is that they are much more concentrated. Last year, two were close together and one was spread farther apart in time, as opposed to this year’s four, which have occurred within six weeks of each other.
Three of this year’s bank robberies were committed by robbers who have an eye problem, meaning it’s probably one reoccurring offender. If so, Mr. Federal Way does have to wonder if this guy attended the State of the City address earlier in the month when Mayor Jim Ferrell announced that 2015 crime was down by 6 percent compared to 2014. Maybe our sticky fingers was a Skip Priest supporter and is doing this to spite Good Ol’ Jimmy Boy. Or maybe the robber is a meth junkie who needs some money to fix his eye. Either way, it’s ironic that an increase in robberies and the coinciding murder of a teenager are making headlines three weeks after that address, no? Next thing we know, larceny will be through the roof if this trend continues.
Q: Mr. Federal Way, did new Mirror editor Jason Ludwig have a talk with you regarding the long list of qualifications you deemed he have?
A: None of your business.
Got a question for Mr. Federal Way? Email mrfederalway@federalwaymirror.com.
