13-year-old charged with hate crimes and other felonies over social media messages, police say

Two mothers said their teen boys were sent racist insults via social media by a 13-year-old who is now facing felony charges.

Kisha Jenkins and Kiara Shaw told WLS-TV that their sons, both age 13, were sent messages on Snapchat that included their photos as well as racist insults and threats.

‘He called him a monkey, said he was going to do some nasty things to him, said he was going to sell him on Facebook.’

Oswego, Illinois, police announced that the juvenile who allegedly sent the messages is facing a hate crime charge and other felonies.

“Hate, discrimination, racism, and even the threats that were in that message should never be tolerated, and you have to stand for something,” said Shaw.

The two reported the messages to their kids’ school as well as the police.

“With my son, he called him a monkey, said he was going to do some nasty things to him, said he was going to sell him on Facebook,” she added.

Jenkins said her son was significantly affected by the messages.

“My child was, you know, very upset by it. He was very disturbed by it. He also felt threatened by it,” she said.

The superintendent of Oswego School District 308 responded in a message to the district’s families.

“This moment must be a catalyst for change. It must be the reason we talk more deeply with young people about how they use technology, about the value and weight of their words,” wrote Dr. Andalib Khelghati. “A post can take seconds to share and a lifetime to repair.”

He went on to ask parents to talk to their children about their messages online.

“I am asking something of every one of you: Please talk with your students. Ask them what they see online. Ask them how they would respond if they saw someone being targeted. Remind them that their words matter, that silence can feel like agreement, and that reaching out to a trusted adult is always the right thing to do.”