The violent attack on Carshawnda Hatter and her children is heartbreaking and absolutely unacceptable. As a father, I feel this deeply. A family simply walking home from school should never have to fear for their safety. But what happened to the Hatter family is more than a single act of violence — it is the predictable result of unchecked bullying that grows, escalates, and eventually explodes in our communities.
This was not an isolated wrongdoing. It was a warning. Bullying is too often the first step on a path that leads from the classroom to the streets, from intimidation to assault, from fear to tragedy. When we ignore bullying, we allow violence to take root long before the breaking point.
Ms. Hatter’s young son has faced ongoing bullying at school. That is where this story begins — and that is where far too many acts of violence begin. When children are targeted, ignored, or left unprotected, it creates a culture where escalating aggression becomes normalized. Families lose confidence in their schools. Neighborhoods lose their sense of safety. And children begin to believe that no one will step in for them. That is how violence grows.
We cannot reduce violence in our neighborhoods without addressing the bullying that fuels it. This incident makes that painfully clear. Accountability must start before bullying turns into something far more dangerous.
Warning Signs Families Should Watch For
Sudden changes in behavior, mood, or sleep
Avoidance of school, buses, or social situations
Unexplained injuries, missing items, or damaged belongings
Falling grades or loss of interest in school
Expressions of fear, hopelessness, or isolation
What Families Can Do
Talk with your child regularly and listen without judgment
Document troubling behavior or incidents
Report issues immediately to school leaders or trusted adults
Seek additional support if responses are slow or inadequate
Organizations Offering Support
Buckets Over Bullying – Advocacy, education, and legal resources
StopBullying.gov – Federal tools for families and educators
Organization for Social Media Safety – Digital safety guidance
CPS Office of Student Protections & Title IX – Reporting and support for harassment or safety concerns
Violence has no place in any neighborhood, and bullying should never be dismissed as harmless or “just kids being kids.” I stand with Ms. Hatter and every family who has endured the trauma of both bullying and violence. Their experiences demand action.
We must respond with urgency: more community investment, stronger youth intervention programs, better enforcement in schools, and closer partnerships with families. I am committed to delivering real resources and real solutions to the communities that need them most — because every child deserves protection, every family deserves peace, and every neighborhood deserves safety.
