Tragedy in EPA

The shooting death of former East Palo Alto's mayor Gertrude Wilks' grandson leads off today's news. Tony Avelar's photo of the grieving Wilks and a comforting friend is shown prominently. This is the kind of story often missed by big city papers whose specialty is covering the larger region. It's one great reason to support local news.

The shooting victim, Jason Dawson, 20, is described as someone who fell into unsteady work and a life of petty crime following the death of his grandfather, Gertrude Wilks husband. I find that formulation somewhat unconvincing--Dawson turns to crime due to sadness and hurt? Grieving relatives aren't likely to engage in a thoughtful assessment of the situation. I suppose reporter Luke Stangel had an obligation to tie some of the facts together regardless if it made sense.

We also learn that the death of Gertrude Wilks' grandson has lead her to "renew her work toward ending violence in town." She isn't able to end violence in her own home. How does a 78 year-old woman have a prayer of a chance outside her home? It makes this story very depressing.