MD - Father beaten to death defending his son, 14, Anne Arundel County, May 2023

[Marysmith]

Anne Arundel family mourns death of father beaten after incident at child's school: 'A friend to everybody'

An Anne Arundel County father was beaten to death last week in front of his home, all after a confrontation started at his child's school.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Midge Montana]

Wow. Just. Wow.
The way this world is getting is terrifying.

 

[Laughing]

A bit more information:

Family: School fight led to fatal assault of children's father

A father in Anne Arundel County was killed while protecting his children from a fight that started at a middle school and came to their home.

www.wbaltv.com

Horrific. Awaiting charges, for certain!

 

[Howl]

Tracy Karopchinsky: "They didn't just ruin our lives. Their lives are going to be changed forever. Their parents' lives are going to be changed forever, and nobody thinks about that just from a fight..."

Tracy Karopchinsky said Wright was a devoted father who loved the stars and gardening.

My heart is breaking for the loved ones left behind from this senseless violence.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

A bit more information:

Family: School fight led to fatal assault of children's father

A father in Anne Arundel County was killed while protecting his children from a fight that started at a middle school and came to their home.

www.wbaltv.com

Horrific. Awaiting charges, for certain!

Charges "could be filed"? Charges better be filed! I realize this isn't a case Benjamin Crump would be interested in, but this family needs representation, imoo.

 

[shotgun09]

This is a case I will be watching closely.
The poor man. His poor children!
Hopefully the perps will be identified and arrested soon. They have Ring camera footage, and the name of the kid involved in the initial fight at the school, that should be enough. Let's Go, LE !!

 

[Soulmagent]

Wow. Just. Wow.
The way this world is getting is terrifying.

Its all very predictable.
I'm not terrified , I am disgusted .

 

[Cryptic]

Hopefully the perps will be identified and arrested soon. They have Ring camera footage, and the name of the kid involved in the initial fight at the school, that should be enough. Let's Go, LE !!

Like you, I am thinking the round up is coming soon.

I grew up in the Baltimore area and its always been a rough city- all the way back to Edgar Allen Poe's time (Baltimore native).

Decades ago, Baltimore attracted a lot of transplants as it was the first industrial city that many blacks from the deep south and whites from rural Appalachia came to in search of work and settled down in. Thus, back then the perpetrators could well of had ties to other states and by extension, places to run to.

But, with the collapse of manufacturing in the area, I am thinking that these guys are Baltimore born and bred with no ties to any where else.

Thus, no where to run to- other than say, their ex girlfriends house from nearly the same Baltimore neighborhood or close in 'burb. The ex wont tell anybody except her best friend, her sister and... her current boyfriend. The "Secret hideout" is safe, very safe.

 

[Ladyotm]

This is horrible and was totally uncalled for. I feel for the kids and hope arrests come soon. Could the group be charged with some type criminal mob offense?

 

[MrsWatson]

Father beaten to death in his front yard protecting his children from grown men

A father of three was beaten to death in his front yard while protecting his children from a middle school fight that made its way back to the family's home in Anne Arundel County late last week.

lawandcrime.com

 

[Lyanna]

That's terrible. His poor family

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Something tells me the alleged "fight" at the school was also only his son defending himself.

IMO this was 1st degree murder. If you need to go to someone's house to talk about a "fight" your respective kids had at school, you don't bring a posse and kill someone.
You just go over and simply talk it out. Or you file a police report. That's it.

This was a group of people out for blood (sorry to be blunt.)
All my opinions only.

Justice for Christopher and his family.

 

[MrsWatson]

Maryland dad Christopher Wright beaten to death over money dispute, family suspects he was hit with blunt object

Wright died from traumatic brain injuries on Friday after five teenagers and adults set upon him on his front doorstep.

nypost.com

This article gives some insight into what sparked the initial fight. Will not post quotes because it includes minors' names.

 

[Cryptic]

Something tells me the alleged "fight" at the school was also only his son defending himself.

That same something is telling me the same thing.

But, I also have the same vague impressions that there was an honor component to it:

- “One of the adults then said ‘if your son’s not going to fight, you’re going to fight.'”

- “The guy fighting him said out loud ‘Oh my God, he’s bleeding’, handed my son his dad’s necklaces that had come off, said ‘I’m sorry’ and to call 911.

The men came to the house not to attack, but to place their son in a re-match fight. They fight the father (family) when the challenge is refused. Upon seeing how injured the victim was, one apologizes to the victim's family and symbolically returns the victim's personal items.

I feel that assailants are a part of a certain local sub culture . Its places emphasis on family, honor, and a level of violence- usually impulsive and not well thought out. The man's apology and symbolic return of the necklaces sounds cheesy, but I think both were sincere and well, "cultural".

I dont even know if that subculture has a name, but I "know it when I see it". I thought it had died out (no longer live in the area). Its a mix of old Baltimore, Appalachian, Irish, Italian etc.

I only know a some what derogatory name for people from that group- "Baltimorons". Like "hill billy" it can be insulting, or a term for local pride - depending on how much stress is placed on the "moron" ending. I doubt many people out side the area know the term.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

The man's apology and symbolic return of the necklaces sounds cheesy, but I think both were sincere.

No disrespect intended but sincere remorse would be: calling 911 himself, turning himself in to law enforcement, pleading guilty to whatever law(s) he actually broke... that sort of thing.

I'm not giving him points for being sorry after he saw that his violent actions caused serious harm and certainly no credit for not stealing the necklaces.

 

[Cryptic]

No disrespect intended but sincere remorse would be: calling 911 himself, turning himself in to law enforcement, pleading guilty to whatever law(s) he actually broke... that sort of thing.

I understand and agree.

But, the local sub culture( thought it had died out) that I suspect these guys are part of is an honor based culture, not a legal based culture. As a result, alot of "book rules" related above don't get followed.

Instead, these honor sub cultures place more emphasis on symbolism: must have a willingness to fight, dishonor can extend to family members, pride, respect / dis respect, apologies and insults and family or friendships mean alot etc.

Please note, I am not saying these men are misguided saints. They are criminals. Rather, I just know the group. There are similar fading sub cultures in Appalachia, Hawaii amongst native Hawaiians, Cajun areas, Puerto Rico, deep south etc.

 

[stmarysmead]

In the video, it looks like Mr Wright threw the first punch. No excuse, but could that be the complication in deciding on charges, or what to charge?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The footage, shot from some distance down the street on May 19, shows Wright pointing animatedly to his left, toward where another of his three sons stands by his side.

The dad then points his left arm at the apparent ringleader, before throwing a right punch toward his head.

It is not clear if the punch lands, but Wright immediately backs up as two members of the group march toward him. One starts swinging punches, grappling with the dad as they run between two parked cars. Wright is then seen being lifted in the air and slammed violently to the street.

The black T-shirt-clad man who bodyslammed the dad then leans over his prone body to unleash a flurry of brutal punches, after which he bends over to pick up something beside the body.

The nearly 90-second clip, first published by the Daily Mail, ends with horrified witnesses — believed to include at least two of Wright’s sons — checking on the dad, who later died from a traumatic brain injury.

Moment Christopher Wright body-slammed, beaten to death while protecting son caught on chilling video

The footage shows someone repeatedly punching Wright after he was brutally body-slammed in the street.

nypost.com

 

[Laughing]

I understand and agree.

But, the local sub culture( thought it had died out) that I suspect these guys are part of is an honor based culture, not a legal based culture. As a result, alot of "book rules" related above don't get followed.

Instead, these honor sub cultures place more emphasis on symbolism: must have a willingness to fight, dishonor can extend to family members, pride, respect / dis respect, apologies and insults and family or friendships mean alot etc.

Please note, I am not saying these men are misguided saints. They are criminals. Rather, I just know the group. There are similar fading sub cultures in Appalachia, Hawaii amongst native Hawaiians, Cajun areas, Puerto Rico, deep south etc.

bbm

per article linked above: a fellow student told the 14 year old that he had stolen $30 from the 14 year old's girlfriend?

How does this fit into the "honor sub culture?"

If anyone else remembers Transactional Analysis, this event reminds me of Let's You & Him Fight.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[Allabouttrial]

Compassion like this isn't something you see everyday.

Also, I believe she's saying she doesn't think this was intentional. Quote from victim's girlfriend:

---

Karopchinsky stressed the devastating effects the death of her husband would have on her children, and the children who attacked him.

She said: 'They didn't just ruin our lives. Their lives are going to be changed forever. Their parents' lives are going to be changed forever, and nobody thinks about that just from a fight.

'It's everywhere, and somewhere, we as parents, are failing these children [...] It's not the school's responsibility. It's our responsibility,' she said.

---

Footage shows moment Maryland dad is body slammed to the ground

Horrifying footage captured the moment Christopher Wright was body slammed to the ground and punched - causing a fatal brain injury - as his 12-year-old son watched on helplessly.

www.dailymail.co.uk