On July 4, Michael Paul Adams, a 27-year-old white man, followed 17-year-old Elijah Al-Amin, a black teenager, into a convenience store in Peoria, Arizona. Adams allegedly came up to Al-Amin from behind and stabbed him in the back and slit his throat with a pocketknife. Then, reportedly, he took off.
Al-Amin died.
What spurred this tragedy? According to the Arizona Republic, Adams allegedly attacked the young man because he “felt threatened by the music” the teen had played in his car.
“Adams told police rap music makes him feel ‘unsafe’ because he had been attacked by people who listen to rap music in the past,” Arizona Republic, which cited police records filed in the local court, reported. “He also said people who listen to rap music are a threat to him and the community.”
You might be wondering: Did they have any interaction aside from this? Any conflict? History of communication? No.
Adams said he felt he had to be “proactive rather than reactive.” He did not interact with the 17-year-old before attacking him, according to witnesses.
Adams, who has been charged with first-degree murder and is currently being held on a $1 million dollar bond, was released from a state prison two days before he allegedly killed Al-Amin. His lawyer, Jacie Cotterell, said in a court appearance that her client didn’t receive the correct support (including medication) upon his release.
“They released him to the streets with no medication, no meds, with no way to care for himself,” Cotterell stated. “This is a failing of the Department of Corrections. This is easily foreseeable and that is an issue.”
Many are quick to point out, however, that the “mental health” explanation is one that doesn’t fall evenly across races. For example, it’s been recorded again and again that when white men commit crimes—including mass shootings—that “mental illness” is cited as an explanation. This is problematic for a few reasons. One, white men are given the benefit of the doubt while people of color are labeled as “thugs” or “violent.”
Beyond that, people who live with mental health challenges are actually more likely to be the victim of a violent crime than to commit one. The quick rationale that if a white person commits a crime, they must be mentally ill breeds the idea that people with mental health challenges are innately dangerous, violent, or even evil. It also erases racism and racial bias from the equation.
In an interview with Arizona’s Fox 10 News, Al-Amin’s mother, Serina Rides, said, “I have to stay focused because I know that’s what he would want and to make sure justice is served for him.”
Bill Lamoreaux, a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Corrections, said that Adams “was not designated seriously mentally ill,” and that, “Mr. Adams will have to answer for his alleged actions.”
People on Twitter are using the hashtag #JusticeforElijah:
In an interview with CNN, Al-Amin’s mother said her son was turning 18 this July and was about to be a senior in high school. He worked two jobs and was looking for a third. "My son is so special and so loved and everyone loved him," Rides said to
CNN. "He's so compassionate and caring, so caring about everyone."