The tragic death of an Escondido woman caught in the crossfire between gang members and struck by a stray bullet has angered and outraged a lot of people.
No one sounded more upset than the police chief in Escondido and a guy like him has seen a lot of crime and a lot of senseless crime.
And that’s what this was. The death of Katherine Kennedy, who was 55 years old, should never have happened.
It was a freak thing that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was struck by a random bullet from some gang member criminals who were shooting at each other.
The Escondido police chief’s plea for help from the public and even from gang members themselves is a sign of how bad the criminal gang problem can become.
Despite cops all over our county and in big cities all across the country and their heroic efforts and success in putting gang members in prison, the problem is like having roaches in your kitchen. You can get rid of some of them but more always come back.
Ask any law enforcement expert and they will tell you that solving the gang problem is not just up to them. It is a social problem and a community problem and a family problem.
Some families see gang violence where they live far too often, other families may not see it at all where they live.
But this is a problem that affects everyone. A woman’s family in Escondido knows that now.
And her death is a reminder to us all that the answer to this problem is not just up to the cops, but also up to families and our communities.
(Photo credit 10News)