THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW: 11th & Tioga
[Photos by JUSTIN ROMAN]
BY JEFF DEENEY Near the corner off 11th and Tioga is a memorial set up around the base of stop sign for Tim Haines, aka Boosa, a 24 year old who was gunned down here one early Saturday morning late last month during a violent weekend that left five dead citywide. This is a neighborhood I know fairly well; as a social worker I had a client who lived nearby and longtime readers might remember that around this time last year I got caught in the middle of a daytime shoot out around the corner on Old York Road, about two blocks from Temple Hospital. The most disturbing detail that I still vividly remember about that incident was the smile the young shooter had on his face as he passed within arm’s reach of my parked car, like throwing bullets around a busy street corner was fun and games. The incident highlighted for me how casually weapons are wielded in these most desolate stretches of the city, and how cheap life is to the kids wielding them.
*
It was a warm Saturday afternoon when we pulled up to photograph the memorial; the smell of barbecue from a smoking grill on the porch of a nearby row-home filled the air. A woman with a long braided weave in nurse’s scrubs and a man with salt and pepper hair and beard wearing freshly pressed jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt were standing near the memorial, chatting when we approached. They initiated a conversation, asking curiously what we
were up to. As I explained the series the woman cut in saying, “Y’all just missed his family, they were just here. For real, like five minutes ago. They been keeping it up real nice.” She pointed at the fresh crop of helium filled aluminum balloons tied to the stop sign’s metal post. She continued, saying, “They had a big vigil for him last week, there was kids dancing, music, it was real nice.” When I asked her what Tim was like she stopped to think for a second before generalizing, “You know, he was just a real nice young boy from around the way.”
The newspapers didn’t give any details about Tim’s death beyond vital statistics, but a clue as to what he might have been doing onTioga Street at almost three in the morning the day he died sits near his memorial. Juxtaposed against a backdrop of stuffed animals inscribed with loving messages from friends and family and a votive candle bearing the image of Jesus sits a deliberately placed tiny glass vial with a black plastic screw top. These vials are used on the streets to sell powder cocaine, usually in forty to fifty dollar quantities. There’s no way to tell whether Tim liked to sniff coke, sell it or both, but the vial was clearly placed here as an object to remember him by.
Research reveals a picture of Tim that’s hard to square with the neighborhood woman’s appraisal of him as “real nice young boy from around the way.” He was charged with a variety of drug and weapons related crimes over the years. A Myspace search turns up pictures of Tim in a Muslim’s thick beard proudly brandishing a 9mm pistol in each hand. In another picture he shows off two tall rubber-banded bill stacks together in one hand like an overstuffed sandwich he just finished making; he gives the camera the finger with the other hand, like someone asked if they could have a bite of it and he didn’t feel like sharing.
Tim was associated with the local drug set Erie Avenue Mob, many of whose young members use photographs of him as wallpaper for their Myspace pages. There are upwards of 100 kids claiming membership in the gang; many of them use the phrase “Join Da Mob” in their online handles, perhaps as a recruiting tool, and all flash an “E” at the camera made by curling the index finger under the thumb and straightening the other three. The gang has its own designated group on Myspace, which has more than 150 members, many of whom are local girls supporting the boys. The gang has an official symbol, consisting of a black background with the city’s skyline etched on it in white. An image is superimposed over top of this, a set Uzi’s crossed like an “X” and two clenched hands grasping dollar bills. There’s succinct message underneath that boils down to three words what the Erie Avenue Mob is about: Drugs. Guns. Money.
The ages of the members of the Erie Avenue Mob are astonishing; many look younger than the 15 years they registered as their ages on the website. These arebabyfaced ballers , young teenagers who mingle pictures of themselves on the corner after dark flashing gang signs and money stacks with pictures of themselves at school
functions in their photo albums. Some proclaim to have the block on lock in the comment section of one friend’s page and then talk about how excited they are for prom night at Simon Gratz in another. In a Youtube video embedded in his page one member raps about how he’s a 12 year old original gangster. His hard edged delivery is believable and a crew of older boys cheer him on as he performs, backing up his tough talk, verifying for onlookers that this mere child is in fact one bad mother fucker.
This is who runs many of the cocaine markets in North Philly: rag tag conglomerations of teenagers like the Erie Avenue Mob. At the age of 24 TimHaines was clearly a senior member of the neighborhood drug hierarchy, praised unanimously by the young boys he left behind. Of all the youngsters proclaiming allegiance to the group online, there was only a small handful of others that were even 21 years old. These are the little kingpins who run Eleventh Street, many of them barely old enough to drive, but all of them old enough to fire a gun at a crowded street corner through busy midday traffic and then run away laughing about it. It’s a lost generation, these kids who are already so far gone, at such young ages. Their futures seem so tragically preordained, the minutes remaining before their sudden deaths or life-without-parole ticking by with a sickening velocity.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jeff Deeney is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in PW, City Paper and the Inquirer. He focuses on issues of urban poverty and drug culture. He is currently working on a book about life in the crossfire of poverty, drugs, guns, and the bureaucracies designed to remedy them, all of which informed his experiences as social workers in some of the city’s most dire and depleted neighborhoods.
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August 2nd, 2008 at 12:55 am
I really think you should do your homework on the matter at hand before you go writing made up stories about people. Tim was loved by EVERYONE who knew him. Let me clear something up about the whole EAM story, there is no such gang just a bunch of kids with ther fingers up reping where the live. If you ask one of them who starting the whole EAM saying , they wouldnt be able to tell you. As far as the “crack valve” down here they are used for storing and selling WEED not CRACK get it right Tim never put anything to his nose.
August 5th, 2008 at 11:21 am
This article is very disrespectful not only to those who live in erie ave but mostly to Tim. He was like My big brother so how dare you put him down. you a socailworker who doesnt live in erie therefore you do not know what you are talking about. In this article you basically call him a crackgead huslter and for that you should apologize to him and his family. When you see those kids hold up those ERIE AVE sign s they are representing where they are from otu of pride, so the next time YOU wanna write something about someone from MY HOOD make sure you come correct or dont come at all. EA all day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 5th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
First off Tim was coming home from work the morning he was gunned down. Second of all like the girl said at the very top the crack valve is used for storing weed around here not crack ass hole. You were just talking out of your ass you don’t know shit about Tim or the area he lived in. You really disrespected Tim and his family the only thing Tim was trying to do was stay on the right track and continue to do positive things with his life. He had a legit job and he was doing good and he stayed out of trouble because he knew he had to do right for his family, hisself, and his daughter. So next time you wanna cirtisize someone to make your article look good make sure you have the right information. You need to apologize to his family for writing a false article like this I think this was very disrespectful…ERIE AVE ALL DAY!!!
August 6th, 2008 at 7:33 am
I’m not going to post it but I have a picture of “Mont Geez” from Erie Avenue on my computer that came off his public myspace profile where he’s holding a big pile of coke cupped in his hands and another friend is standing behind him, pointing a gun at the camera. But I guess they don’t sell coke up that way.
So, okay, you say that particular vial was used for weed and not coke. That’s believable, too, because those Erie Avenue kids also have pictures of duffel bags full of weed on their profiles, and syrup bottles, huge money stacks, and guns, guns, and more guns.
I didn’t mean to disrespect your boy, but sorry, man, you Erie Avenue guys put a lot of information about yourselves out there, whether you’re aware of it or not, that makes it hard to present in any other way.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:27 am
once again deeney pictures say alot of words but you have yet to say shit about TIM. that is what this article is mainly about.so ima say to him you what i said to him dont talk about stuff you kno nothing about.
September 13th, 2008 at 2:08 am
I am very familiar with this situation and the one that occured almost a year ago fom whem Timothy was killed. First let me start by saying the guy who was being shot a when u were there Mr. Jeff Deeney was Tims younger sisters boyfriend whom was into the same things tim was into. Drugs,Guns, O n I guess money. Its not surprising that timothy was killed or ferdell soloman. Its like they had choosen to die. You are right about everything you spoke on in this article. Tims family and friends need to relize what he was is the reason he is not here as of today. What was the real reason he was out there 3 in the morning hanging oyt with 15yo boys. Please if you gonna tell a story tell the truth. LIVE BY THE GUN DIE BY THE GUN. WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR TIMOTHY SHOOTING AT CARS AS THEY DROVE DOWN 1100 WEST TIOGA STREET OR SHOOTING AT PPL AS THEY ARE COMMING OUT OF THERE HOMES, OR BETTER YET ROBBING PPL. TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT MR HAINES PLEASE. DON’T SUGAR COAT IT. HE IS IN A BETTER PLACE NOW U DON’T HAVE LIE ABOUT WHO HE WAS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE. THE PICS SAY IT ALL, AND NO THOSE WEREN’T THE GUNS FROM HIS “security” job.
September 13th, 2008 at 2:26 am
I am very familiar with this situation and the one that happened almost a year ago from when Timothy was killed. First let me start by saying the guy who was being shot at when u were there Mr. Jeff Deeney was Tims younger sisters boyfriend at the whom was into the same things tim was into. Drugs,Guns, O n I guess money. Its not surprising that timothy was killed or ferdell soloman. Its like they had choosen to die. You are right about everything you spoke on in this article. Tims family and friends need to realize what he was is the reason he is not here as of today. What was the real reason he was out there 3 in the morning hanging out with 15yo boys. Please if you gonna tell a story tell the truth. LIVE BY THE GUN DIE BY THE GUN. WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR TIMOTHY SHOOTING AT CARS AS THEY DROVE DOWN the STREET OR SHOOTING AT PPL AS THEY ARE COMMING OUT OF THERE HOMES, OR BETTER YET ROBBING PPL. TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT MR HAINES PLEASE. DON’T SUGAR COAT IT. HE IS IN A BETTER PLACE NOW U DON’T HAVE LIE ABOUT WHO HE WAS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE. THE PICS SAY IT ALL, AND NO THOSE WEREN’T THE GUNS FROM HIS “security” job.
September 13th, 2008 at 3:28 am
O yea the police, they know what’s going on to an certain extent. Its not about money, drugs, or whatever the neighbors say its about. Ask around what its really about. Only those who are really from Erie Ave know not the myspace gangstas posing wit their guns. Its like who is next. Just leave it alone for someone else ends up dead for something that happened 6 years ago. O yeah ask ya self is that one that’s got out so easy a rat, how he beat that. Now his old head gon forever n he wlk da streets.
October 19th, 2008 at 10:48 am
MY BROTHER WAS NEVER A CRACKHEAD AND HE NEVER DID DRUGS. WHOEVER HE ASSOCIATED WITH WOULD KNOW THAT. SO I’M NOT GOING TO GET ALL FUCKING MAD OR NOTHING AND SAY SHIT THAT GOING TO FUCK UP OUR CASE SO LIKE THE METRO SEE YOU IN COURT LOSER!
October 19th, 2008 at 11:12 am
This is for 11th n tioga for real
FUCK YOU AND THE SLAVE SHIP YOU CAME IN ON YOU DIRTY BASTARD. I HOPE YOU AND YOUR WHOLE FAMILY ROT IN HELL! YOU HAVE NO ROOM TO TALK ABOUT MY BROTHER LIKE THAT! MY BROTHER NEVER ROBBED NO ONE AND DIDN’T NEED TO HE HAD EVERYTHING HE NEEDED AS YOU CAN SEE! HE DIDN’T HAVE TO SHOOT AT NO ONE HIS NAME WAS TIM FOR A REASON! HE PUT FEAR IN NIGGAS HEART BY ONE FUCKING LOOK! YOUR FUCKING PEOPLE WAS SCARED OF HIM THEY WERE JEALOUS OF HIM SO THAT’S WHY THEY WANTED TO BE LIKE HIM AND THAT’S WHY IT TOOK THREE OF THEM TO KILL HIM! HE DID HAVE A JOB AND HE DID WORK AT NIGHT AND HE WAS ON HIS WAY HOME! AND HE NEVER HUNG AROUND 15 YEAR OLD BOYS! THEY LOOKED UP TO HIM AS A BIG BROTHER TRYING KEEP THEM ON TRACK! SO STOP TRYING TO DEGRADE AND DISRESPECT MY BROTHER! OH YEAH THEM GUNS ARE LEGAL NO THEY WASN’T HIS BUT THEY BELONG TO OUR COMPANY! HE DIDN’T HAVE TO WOPRRY ABOUT NO ONE CUZ WHEN HE WAS READY TO THROW HIS HANDS UP TO ANYONE OF YA’LL BITCH ASS NIGGAS YA’LL WAS TO SCARED TO FIGHT FAIR. SO YA’LL WOULD PULL OUT YA’LL ILLAEGAL GUNS AND THINK YA’LL WAS DOING SOMETHING WHICH YA’LL WASN’T. HE WAS NEVER SCARED OF NOTHING OR NO ONE SO WHEN YA’LL KILLEED HIM JUST KNOW HE WASN’T NEVER SCARED! AND WOW THEY DO THAT MYSPACE SHIT FOR FUN! THEY DONB’T GIVE TWO FLYING FUCKS ABOUT NOTHING ON THERE AND THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT THAT MYSPACE SHIT THEY ARE GOONS! AND FUCKED WHAT HAPPENED SIX YEARS AGO CUZ IF THEY DIDN;’T GET CAUGHT THEN THEY DAM SURE IS GETTING CAUGHT NOW! HAHA AND THAT’S WHY THEY’RE RUNNING AND THAT’S WHY THEY HAVE WARRANTS OUT AND THAT’S WHY THEY ARE SNITCHING ON EACH OTHER! HAHA YOUR OWN PEOPLE IS GOING TO HANG THEMSELVES WITHOUT NO HELP! HE MIGHT BE WALKING THE STREETS NOW BUT NOT FOR LONG! HE’S GOING TO BE SOMEWHERE FOR LIFE! SO AGAIN FUCK YOU ND WHOEVER ELSE THAT GOT SOMETHING NEGATIVE TO SAY ABOUT MY BROTHER!
October 19th, 2008 at 11:16 am
This is for 11th n tioga for real
FUCK YOU AND THE SLAVE SHIP YOU CAME IN ON YOU DIRTY BASTARD. I HOPE YOU AND YOUR WHOLE FAMILY ROT IN HELL! YOU HAVE NO ROOM TO TALK ABOUT MY BROTHER LIKE THAT! MY BROTHER NEVER ROBBED NO ONE AND DIDN’T NEED TO HE HAD EVERYTHING HE NEEDED AS YOU CAN SEE! HE DIDN’T HAVE TO SHOOT AT NO ONE HIS NAME WAS TIM FOR A REASON! HE PUT FEAR IN NIGGAS HEART BY ONE FUCKING LOOK! YOUR FUCKING PEOPLE WAS SCARED OF HIM THEY WERE JEALOUS OF HIM SO THAT’S WHY THEY WANTED TO BE LIKE HIM AND THAT’S WHY IT TOOK THREE OF THEM TO KILL HIM! HE DID HAVE A JOB AND HE DID WORK AT NIGHT AND HE WAS ON HIS WAY HOME! AND HE NEVER HUNG AROUND 15 YEAR OLD BOYS! THEY LOOKED UP TO HIM AS A BIG BROTHER TRYING KEEP THEM ON TRACK! SO STOP TRYING TO DEGRADE AND DISRESPECT MY BROTHER! OH YEAH THEM GUNS ARE LEGAL NO THEY WASN’T HIS BUT THEY BELONG TO OUR COMPANY! HE DIDN’T HAVE TO WOPRRY ABOUT NO ONE CUZ WHEN HE WAS READY TO THROW HIS HANDS UP TO ANYONE OF YA’LL BITCH ASS NIGGAS YA’LL WAS TO SCARED TO FIGHT FAIR. SO YA’LL WOULD PULL OUT YA’LL ILLEGAL GUNS AND THINK YA’LL WAS DOING SOMETHING WHICH YA’LL WASN’T. HE WAS NEVER SCARED OF NOTHING OR NO ONE SO WHEN YA’LL KILLED HIM JUST KNOW HE WASN’T NEVER SCARED! AND WOW THEY DO THAT MYSPACE SHIT FOR FUN! THEY DON’T GIVE TWO FLYING FUCKS ABOUT NOTHING ON THERE AND THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT THAT MYSPACE SHIT THEY ARE GOONS! AND FUCKED WHAT HAPPENED SIX YEARS AGO CUZ IF THEY DIDN’T GET CAUGHT THEN THEY DAM SURE IS GETTING CAUGHT NOW! HAHA AND THAT’S WHY THEY’RE RUNNING AND THAT’S WHY THEY HAVE WARRANTS OUT AND THAT’S WHY THEY ARE SNITCHING ON EACH OTHER! HAHA YOUR OWN PEOPLE IS GOING TO HANG THEMSELVES WITHOUT NO HELP! HE MIGHT BE WALKING THE STREETS NOW BUT NOT FOR LONG! HE’S GOING TO BE SOMEWHERE FOR LIFE WISHING HE WOULD OF NEVER DID THE SHIT HE DID! SO AGAIN FUCK YOU ND WHOEVER ELSE THAT GOT SOMETHING NEGATIVE TO SAY ABOUT MY BROTHER!
November 1st, 2008 at 1:29 am
That’s crazy I also knew tim and what u are saying is not true at all that’s why there has been at least 7 shootouts in the area where he was killed. Tim was a so called goon, i m guessing that’s y he was murdered its not snitching if its not telling the truth they aren’t going to find out who murdered tim because they charged the wrong person with the crime. No one knows what happened all ppl know is that he was muredrred. The family and the detectives all know that something fishy was going on that night. They found shell casings at the top of marvine and veanango and I hear they founa gun, isn’t that the corner were tim n his young goons hang. If he was killed on marvine and tioga why was there shell casings at the top of the block. Maybe he was changing for the better but his past caught up to him. Not to say it was right but u can’t say it was wrong if u don’t know the situation.
November 1st, 2008 at 1:44 am
I understand that you all are upset but lets get it right tim was not a good dude in erie ave. He was know as a so called goon which may have been the reason he was murderes. If you really know what happened u should let the ds know I me u say that ppl were jealousy of tim but the young guy that’s being charhed with it was doing so good as far as I know. You say snitching I thought snitching was when you tell the truth about a crime that someone commited this is a lie. I currently live on tioga street and me and another neighbor did not see who shot and killed timothy but we know they are after the wrong guy. All he needs is a half decent lawyer. U all say that he wasn’t a bad guy but prove it. Since he was killed there has been at least 7 shootouts and I know for a fact that the guy they are after was not envolved he didn’t even live down there anymore. Pics tell a lot and I have never seen the accused with a gun in his possesion I can’t say the same for timothy. The detectives are just doing their jobs but they know they need the accused to tell his side and what if he wasn’t even out there, then what its his word against theirs and his might sound better against theirs. I pray for you and timothy and the accused and I hope they get the right person. That’s all they have is hear say and you can’t keep anyone in jail for that
November 1st, 2008 at 1:55 am
Its not snitching if your lieing. Do a backround check please. Then comment. Your family is trying to sue as if timothy was a saint look at his rap sheet. I sure the lawyers will be able to retrieve that. It tells you all the crimes he has commited not saying the ones he wasn’t caught for. Since he was killed theses young dummies around here been shooting up everything. I could just imagine if he would have surrived , he would have been terrorizing this neighborhood right along with the. You as a sister don’t have to down your brothers name but what will be said about his criminal record and the myspace pictures. Didn’t they find a gun in his car or did the criminals whom killed him take his guns.
November 1st, 2008 at 2:05 am
I don’t see what’s the point in trying to sue. That’s like that guy in south philly trying to sue nbc for posting his myspace page on tv. He was speeding and ran someone over and killed Tim enjoyed playing with guns and was shot. I don’t believe you or your family has much of a case the metro didn’t say anything bad about him they just stated the facts. Your jus upset because it was you brother. If you win this case that means that anything is possible. I hope you all didn’t pay the lawyer already. I am not from tioga street c how hear say can change everything you don’t even know me or wherre im from I just know more about the situation that u dummies do. Who will be next to go from down there.
November 1st, 2008 at 2:23 am
If U really cared u would tell his little friends to stop posting pics of him with guns. I don’t think that anyone is running from the situation because the cops are just going by hearsay they believe that its so called gang related which it might be but I don’t know and I don’t care. I don’t even believe that they are looking for their suspect, they don’t even believe that he was the one whom shot and killed timothy first it was one person then a second and then a third, but they only have a warrant for one so somethings not right. As for the pics in court that will paint a bad pic of timothy if it makes it pass the prelim. I jus pray for you n yours and all those involved cause its stupid. Well plain n simple I should say Timothy was a as the philadelphia police comiss. Says a career criminal.lol. Check him backround.Just tel the truth u only viewed him liked that because u are family ask around about him. The da has those pics of him and she is like fuck what am I gon do wit this.
November 1st, 2008 at 2:35 am
There has been at least 7 shootings since timothys untimely death and you say he was a good guy. The neighbors on tioga street all say that out of all the shootings this has had the worst affect on the neighbor because the younger dropout have not to borrow guns from anymore. The only thing tim taught those young dummies is how to bag up and load guns cause that’s all they do all of them will be either dead or locked up in a few. Half of them not even from erie ave and again you dnt even know me so I dnt care what you or any of his lil so called goonies. They don’t have enough gas money to come c me.lol My ppls aint in this so I don’t care its just unfair how yall trying to make it seem like he was a good dude, again look at his back round until next time. Tlk bout sueing tha metro.lol Yall need to find out whom done that to tim and stop believeing what u hear.
November 2nd, 2008 at 12:28 am
I JUST WANTED 2 TAKE THE TIME AND GIVE MY THOUGHTS ON THE TOPIC. LET ME START OFF BY FIRST SAYING THAT TIMOTHY HAD A CRIMINAL BACKROUND AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE AREA OF A FIREARM LET ALONG HAD ONE IN HIS POSSESION. I DONT KNOW THE SITUATION BUT IF HE WAS COMMING FROM WORK WHY WOULD SOMEONE JUST RANDOMLY MURDER HIM. THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY ALWAYS PAINT A PERFECT PICTURE OF THOSE WHOM ARE SLAIN ON THE CITY STREETS. THE FAMILY USUALLY NEVER KNOW WHAT THEY ARE INTO, OR THEY KNOW AND ARE UNWILLING TO SAY.
November 30th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
y tha fuck u keep talkin shit 1st u say my brother didnt have a gun when he died first of all u must know something and my brother didnt teach any of my lil goons to shoot shit yall people kill me talkin shit n dont say yall names everyone know who was out there n u know too,my brother was talkin to one of his killers mins before he got killed shells casing at tha top of tha block ,who gives a fuck my brother got killed down tha block and i got gas money fuck outter here u got something to say ,say ur name first bitch
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Reply to the real deal.
Im sorry if i am upsetting you about telling the truth about what really happened to timothy but thats how it is. You all know tim was not what you are trying to make him out to be. How do you know that he was talking to one of his”killers” before he was shot. You are just going ny the lies that you are being told. Y should i say my first name you all are being fooled into believing things that are not true. There is really not much to say but the cops are looking for the wrong person. They need to double check tha hood maybe some off his lil homies. until next time.
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:05 am
What if now im am just saying what if you are after the wrong person and they never catch timothys true killer, then what wil you all be satisfied as a family . Having the police end an innocent mans life. What if timwas up to no good that night lets jus say what if if. I am still trying to figure out what was he doing out at three in the morning with little boys. Most of them which are locked up for i guess trying to “ride” for their big homie tim. Look what he has gotten the youth of the neighborhood facing life now…..
January 7th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
[...] and families generally broadcast after someone dies, but he reported it anyway, including sometimes posting pictures from Myspace of the deceased, say, holding guns (Myspace, writes Jeff, “yielded a startling amount of often [...]
June 22nd, 2010 at 10:04 am
listen r.i.p tim n olny his family n friends know the truth so like i always say join da mob!!!!!!!
November 22nd, 2010 at 5:21 pm
After reading every comment everyone made I’m appalled at what every person wrote. Jeff Deeney you didn’t even do your research! I’m not being a critic, but I mean come on. I can tell your one of them writers that’s trying to get a big break. But writing an informal column that doesn’t have the right info is a trip to your big break. All I’m saying is don’t misinform please. Get everything and then write. To Phila Lawyer, I don’t understand how you call yourself a real lawyer? How are you mentioning anyone’s private info with concent. If you are a real lawyer why are you involved in petty online disputes instead of helping the law in court??! Where do you get the time for this? You must not be a good lawyer because your involved with this instead of handling your business in the court. I know my lawyer is busy 24/7 and does not have time for childish disputes. If you are getting your info from Jeff Deeney, then you may not know that Timothy Haines was actually trying to turn his life around. He didn’t want to end up where he is now, but I guess it didn’t work out. Everyone who has messed up at a young age deserves another chance. I mean anyone! For all other “Con” Tim, you all probably going on what you heard or maybe family members/friends of the people that killed him. I understand your concept of “protecting your family/friends” but please don’t go on with the opinions and assuming. You all know what they say about assuming! From reading I bet none of you knew Timothy Haines as a person. Before any “con” Timothy group say anything put yourself in the opposite shoes. How would you feel if someone was writing what you all wrote about your family member/friend? To Tim’s family members/friends or “Pro” Tim please don’t go back and forth trying to identity what you know. If you really knew Timothy Haines you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone. you know how he was and left the world. Don’t let other take that away. And last, Erie Ave Za, I know your kind to well! You just wanted to put something, I understand. But leave something positive and not stupid! I can tell you probably dropped out of school to be in this”Erie Ave Mob.” A famous quote you probably should keep for safekeeping is ” A mind is a terrible thing to waste”-UNCF. I leave you all with this, all of you should be worried about how to help and save you communities instead of just watching as the black race dies off by killing each other. All of you should get educated enough to save your race instead of bickering over the internet. Save the youth so nothing will happen to them. Make the next generation able to carry on in the world. You all should stop people like Jeff Deeney from destroy and break down your community and race.