CHICAGO (AP) — Attorney General Eric Holder called the beating death of a Chicago teen a ”stark wake-up call” that should serve as a call to action.
Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan made a trip to Chicago to meet with city leaders to discuss youth violence in the wake of the beating death of 16-year-old Derrion Albert.
But Holder says youth violence is an American problem and not just a Chicago problem. He says the nation was shocked at the violence on the video that captured Albert’s fatal beating.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says the Wednesday morning meeting with Holder and Duncan was productive. He says they talked about ways to help children, including by providing mentors and creating more after-school and weekend programs.