Elijah Al-Amin, a 17-year-old from Arizona, was murdered in the early hours of the morning on the Fourth of July. Arizona law enforcement officials arrested 27-year-old Michael Paul Adams and charged him with the first-degree, premeditated murder of the teenager.
According to FOX 10, Adams slit Al-Amin’s throat and stabbed him with a pocket knife because he felt “unsafe” and threatened by the boy listening to rap music.
Elijah was just two weeks away from his 18th birthday at the time of his murder and was set to enter his senior year of high school in the fall.
As 17 years old black man I can’t comprehend why anyone feels “threatened” by a Rap music! This needs to stop! We need to stop giving racist killers the mental illness excuse every time they kill young black men! Rip Elijah Al-Amin! #JusticeForElijah #NoMoreExcuses pic.twitter.com/jfwJ9gwdKO
— Naz Awiye
(@GenenalNaz) July 8, 2019
(@GenenalNaz) “I got a call from [Al-Amin’s] father, saying, ‘Something’g wrong, this is not like Elijah, he’s not home yet,'” Elijah’s mother Serina Rides said. “Out of the blue, somebody’s going to do this to you – I can’t understand.
“There’s no excuse for this. There’s not at all, there’s no excuse. I don’t care that somebody’s hiding behind mental illness, there’s no excuse. My last words to him was, ‘Elijah, I love you,’ [and] he said, ‘I love you too, mom.’ Those were his last words to me and I’m at peace with that.
“I’m so numb and hurt to the core of my soul. But I have to stay focused because I know that’s what he would want and to make sure justice is served for him.”
Elijah’s murder, who had just been released from prison 48 hours prior, had a lengthy criminal record which included theft, disorderly conduct, assault with a weapon and assault on a corrections officer.
FOX 10 News added:
The Arizona Department of Corrections says officials never designated Adams as mentally ill. Court records show he’s been arrested for attacking someone with a deadly weapon twice – both strangers. he also assaulted a correctional officer while in jail.
Adams is currently being held on $1 million bail.
Our deepest condolences go out to Elijah’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult and tragic time.
