Jan 6th, 2022, 16 year old Teddy Balkind died in a hockey accident. 

March 6th, 2022, 14 year old Jaylene Gonzalez was killed by being hit by a car.

May 15th, 2022, 17 year old Jimmy Mcgrath was stabbed to death.

June 25th, 2022 17 year old Luke Roux died in a car crash. 

October 4th, 2022 17 year old Wisin Resto-Rodriguez was shot to death. 

January 31st, 2023, 16 year old Marcus Rogers was instantly killed in a car crash.

These are just some of the tragic deaths of CT Teens all across the state of CT over the past year. Now put yourself in the shoes of all the other teens in CT, and see incidents like this. How does it make you feel?

Does it make you feel sad?

Does it make you feel scared?

Does it make you feel angry?

Because that is how we feel.  

We are teens. We are kids. All those names above are children. And if this article makes you upset, it should. 

It’s now time to shed some light on the teens we lost.

Teddy Balkind. A 16 year old boy from New Canaan, lost his life while playing his sport of hockey. Teddy’s neck sliced open with a skate. There is no way to make this death sound peaceful, because that is not what it was. A young teen, who had his whole life in front of him, cut short. 

Jaylene Gonzalez. The youngest person on this list. She was walking down Route 140 in Enfield, when she was struck by a distracted driver in a pickup truck, who was texting when he hit the 14 year old girl. Adults, we can do better. 

Jimmy McGrath. While attending a party, a group of kids showed up and a fight broke out. During the fight, a few kids were stabbed, but the 17 year old McGrath would be stabbed in the chest, leading to the death of the beloved Fairfield Prep student. Teens killing teens.

Luke Roux. A severely drunk driver drove 80 MPH through a red light, resulting in hitting 17 year old Luke Roux of West Hartford and his vehicle and resulting in his death. The man’s blood alcohol content was 0.19 percent. The illegal amount is 0.08. Here’s a good idea, don’t drive drunk. 

Wisin Resto-Rodriguez. Shot dead. A Waterbury high school student. A young life lost in senselessness. Our kids in Connecticut aren’t even safe from gun violence. Wisin was only 17 years old when his life was taken. 

Marcus Rogers. While driving with his grandpa, both were killed instantly when a head-on crash occurred. The driver of the vehicle that hit Marcus and his grandfather was trying to pass a truck, and went into the opposite lane, and ended up crashing into Marcus and his grandfather. The New Hartford teen passed away two days ago. 

I don’t know how else to put this, WE ARE JUST KIDS. We have teens all across the state losing their lives because of human actions. 

We have had enough with the passing of our fellow teenagers. So next time you think about doing something stupid, think of these children who lost their lives. Next time your teen goes to leave, make sure you hug them and tell them you love them, because life is unfair.