A Regional Emmy award-winning documentary. Willie Jones, was valedictorian of his high school class, an outstanding student, athlete and class leader bound for Cornell University. The day after he graduated, Willie Jones Jr. was gunned down in a drive-by shooting as he left a graduation party where parents were acting as chaperons, alcohol was prohibited and an off-duty police officer was providing security. The killing of Willie Jones shocked and angered much of San Diego, particularly the African American community, in which Jones had become a role model and a symbol of hope. Family members and friends reflect on the very personal pain of youth violence and express hope that Willie's story will be a resounding wakeup call for teenagers today facing the daily struggles of guns, gangs and violence.

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A new title in the Teens at Risk series, this program focuses on the tragic murder of Willie Jones Jr., a day following his high-school graduation in San Diego. Jones was class president, valedictorian, and recipient of a scholarship to Cornell University. Events leading up to the drive-by shooting are dramatized, and friends, family members, school personnel, and legal professionals talk about that fateful night, when Jones attended a well-chaperoned, seemingly safe party. Local members of a gang-suppression team and a former San Diego gang member comment on gang violence and activities. Courtroom footage shows the accused gang members showing little remorse. It takes a strong person to grow up in a gang-dominated neighborhood and choose a different path to become a role model as Jones did, and this program will resonate with teen viewers. Another new addition to the recommended series is Drug Addiction and Dependence. - Carol Holzberg, June 3, 2013 (Booklist Online).

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