Folks, it has been almost exactly seven days ago when 17-year-old Deshawn Jones was murdered on Shelby Housing Authority property on Logan Street in Shelby NC. Scroll on back to my September 17, 2022 article about the initial reporting of this gang related murder in the Shelby Daily Liar and all the misinformation and things totally left out. Also, my conclusion that potentially large profits in manipulated slum area real estate markets could be one of the MAIN reasons that gang violence in Shelby is tolerated. Maybe even encouraged.
Now, Robert A has acquired additional and updated information that appears to be suppressed by the City of Shelby and the Shelby Daily Liar.
Seventeen-year-old black teenager Deshawn Jones WAS a student at Shelby High School. Deshawn was athletically inclined, maybe athletically gifted, but seemed to come and go at will at Shelby High School without attending classes.
Without proper discipline and guidance, Deshawn Jones became drawn into gang related activities. Deshawn was a willing participant in the gang fight at Crest High School a week or two before during the Crest v. Burns High School Football game.
Deshawn Jones was hunted down, allegedly by rival gang member, to the Shelby Housing Authority property on Logan Street, by multiple armed persons. Deshawn Jones was shot and wounded in an initial burst of gunfire, but was able to run away. Although wounded, Deshawn Jones briefly got away from his assailants, but was followed closely. Ultimately the assailants closed in on Deshawn Jones and was shot repeatedly until he was dead. Allegedly six or more shots were fired into Deshawn Jones’ body. Then the assailants escaped from the scene, incredibly NOT SEEN or identified by any of the many residents at the Shelby Housing Authority housing complex. Who, probably, did recognize at least some of the assailants but are afraid to tell?
“Bro-Code” it is called. Never identify any perp to the police. This “Bro-Code” is learned at an early age in the Shelby Housing Authority properties and slums all around the City of Shelby.
And, also in Black communities around Cleveland County. Remember the young and pretty mother of two who left her children with their grandmother to attend a late-night party in Kingstown. A party with over 100 in attendance. Around 1:00 to 2:00AM some at the party were outside shooting guns. Allegedly taking target practice, when a stray round penetrated the walls of the house. And not one of the potential 100 witnesses of the “accidental” killing of the young mother of two, could or would identify a suspect. Robert A, to this very day, does not remember hearing of any identification of the shooter who fired the shot that killed that young mother of two at the party in Kingstown.
So much for “Bro-Codes.” The multiple shooters of Deshawn Jones may never be identified, captured or prosecuted. Much less punished by the Courts. Deshawn’s gang friends, HOWEVER, might deliver some justice to the rival gang members. Then the rival gang will be pursued by Deshawn Jones’s gang buddies. On and on and around and around. Where it stops, nobody knows? But probably no justice from the Courts of Cleveland County. EVER!!!
So, who gains by having so much continued violence in the slum areas of Shelby??? Certainly not the taxpayers, the residents or anybody’s piece of mind.
As Robert A was doing some research into the Shelby Housing Authority property in the 800 Block of Logan Street in regard to these articles. he happened upon a Real Estate advertisement for a home in the 900 Block of Logan Street. This house, as shown in an accompanying picture in the advertisement, should have been priced at much less than half of the asking price. Especially with declining property values usually associated with high crime areas. This was touched upon in Robert A’s original article, but still needing more thought.
Then, the words and a remembering comes to Robert A: BLOCK BUSTING!!! A Real Estate shenanigan that began in the late 1950’s and became widespread in the Real Estate market in the 1960’s and beyond. RACE-BASED BLOCK Busting!! So, more research goes as follows.
The definition of the “original term” Block-Busting:
Block Busting; the practice of persuading owners to sell property cheaply because of the FEAR of people of another race or class moving into the neighborhood, lowering property values for everybody that is left. And buying them all at bargain prices. Then profiting by reselling at a higher price at a later date when the minority races or classes are eliminated from the neighborhoods.
The minorities or under classes were removed by “slum lords” gaining ownership of the depressed neighborhood housing units by continuously raising rents, refusing to make repairs or other such MO’s. A good example in Shelby is Ramblewood. Which once sold for over $450,000 to recently when the Cherokee Indians, flush with Casino Cash, purchased the entire property for around $5 Million. And then resold later for another large profit. Nobody will say what is going on with Ramblewood. But you can be sure it is some kind of high profit scheme. Presently, the once prevalence of RACE-BASED Block Busting has been modified by substituting VIOLENCE based FEAR as a modified method of implementing Block Busting tactics.
Eureka, says Robert A. This is what is happening near the 800 Block of Logan Street. Land speculators and Real Estate operatives would gain, big time, by buying drug and violence infested neighborhoods at low prices, evicting the blacks that live there by their fear of violence. And, then reselling at much higher prices. Especially if those devalued properties just happen to be located adjacent to the Shelby Thread Trail or the Shelby Rail Trail, where they would then be adjacent to “Park” like properties maintained by the City of Shelby to then (hopefully) keep drugs and violence out of the area.
And, if you look really close, ”take a deep dive,” says Robert A, you will see that such similar properties around Shelby, are near the Thread and Rail Trail, are being bought up by local investors like Eddie Holbrook, his friends, and others-camouflaged by LLC Corporations scattered elsewhere in North Carolina and perhaps outside of North Carolina.
A good example of that is the old Ella Mill property. A corporate entity called Guilford Financial Services, LLC, located in Greensboro, NC and run by a person named Maida Renson seems to fit that bill and bought up the Old Ella Mill Property. A check on Maida Renson and Guilford Financial Services, LLC; plus, a check of associated data bases regarding Maida Renson and Guilford Financial Services, LLC indicates that Ms. Renson runs a number of LLCs from that very same address in Guilford County. Providing a good money “hidey-hole” for the rich and famous around Cleveland County and their associates here and elsewhere.
So, where is the FBI?? Or even the SBI or the NC Attorney General. Or the Governor of NC. Or the Mayor of Shelby and the Cleveland County Commissioners or the City of Shelby City Council???
And, why would ANY State Grant be made available to financially underpin potentially criminal enterprises that allow crime and violence to run rampant in Cleveland County, North Carolina??? Straighten up THIS mess and maybe there would NOT be so much crime and shootings and gangs and gun fights and fights at football games in Shelby, NC. Provide a sound basic education and things to do that are fun and that do not lead to violence amongst the youth of Cleveland County.
Shelby and Cleveland County’s so-called “Leadership,” recently had the opportunity to do just that. And blew it all to Hell. With no apparent regrets. Something voters ought to remedy at election times. But don’t because of the misinformation spread by the Shelby Daily Liar, the Commissioners, the City of Shelby and the School Board.
Robert A says if he were a Commissioner, he would find ways to put a stop to all this organized violence and leadership shenanigans in Cleveland County and Shelby. Robert A says, I am half way there. I have identified the problem. And when you have identified the problem, you are half way there to fixing the problem.
Well said, Robert A!!! Please run for Commissioner in 2024 as some very savvy people have suggested.