Text message turns party into death scene
Found on The Inquirer on Saturday, 17 September 2005
The power of texting turned a party in Sacramento into death for a teenager, and bullet laden injuries for others.
The Sacramento Bee reported that what had started as an innocent txt message to pals to celebrate a 16th birthday party turned into a gunfight at the not-so OK corral.
The Sacbee reported here that a message to 40 friends from a mobile phone turned into a battle where a 16-year old high school boy, Phillip Bailey, died, while four other children including one girl were hospitalised with gun wounds. The 40 recipients may have texted their pals, and so on ad infinitum.
Adults were trying to shut the party down when the gun shots started, said the Sacbee, quoting a local cop.
Now that's a birthday party you won't forget. You know you're grown up when your parties clog up the streets and end with the obligatory drive-by shooting.