Teens' run through Macon Wal-Mart a small prank with a big price

News came down late Thursday afternoon that a second suspect in the Zebulon Road late night Wal-Mart run-through had turned himself in. Vashaun Chandler Rozier, 18, from Lizella, joins Kharron Nathan Green, 17, as the first two charged with rioting, criminal damage to property in the second degree and criminal street gang activity.

But the news release holds this key phrase: “Investigators have identified other suspects involved and warrants have been issued for their arrests.” So, by the time you read this, the Macon-Bibb County Law Enforcement Center may have more occupants. I’m sure most of the fun will have played out of their “little prank.”

I tell teenagers all the time that one dumb thing can change the course of your life, and this is a prime example of what I mean. Not only was it stupid, but it also was criminal. While it might have been laughed off if the teens had just run through the store and departed, once you start damaging merchandise, it takes on a whole different flavor.

The fact that these 50 to 70 or so teens appear to be all African-American lends another aspect to it. Let me be frank. There is no “Boys will be boys” when it comes to us. Their parents should have taught them that. I’m not saying it’s right. I’m saying it is what it is.

Fortunately, the suspected knocking over of a person in a motorized scooter appears to be false. The video shows the teens using the scooters, not any customers, but that could change, too, when all of the videos from different store cameras are released.

So how will their lives change? I would imagine, for starters, that car keys have been confiscated and their freedom is already on lockdown if their parents or parent are worth a damn. As of Thursday, Rozier was still sitting in jail. A Superior Court judge has to set his bail. I’m not going to say they do this, but court calendars are awfully full and Friday was a holiday. Rozier could still be waiting on that judge as you read this. Even if he gets out, it’s hard to have a happy Independence Day full of fun and frivolity when you’ve spent the last few nights sleeping on a hard cot. I’ve been in the jail (as a visitor), and it ain’t no Marriott.

And the consequences of the frolic are just beginning. Having your parent or parents look at you like you’re a creature from outer space is something no child wants to see. And to destroy that trust, not by accident but on purpose, by doing something insanely stupid and pointless, makes their gaze burn right through you.

Then there are the financial costs. Making bail means the parent or parents have to come up with hundreds of dollars, put up their home or something else of value. This may be the last straw. Each of their parent or parents could let their bad seed sit and see what jail is all about for a few days or until a trial, which could be months away.

I’m no legal eagle, but most will probably get probation if it’s their first offense, however, that’s not the most damaging part of this sad, stupid tale. By the time this is adjudicated, if then, some may be ready to start their college careers. On most college applications there is a question that asks: “Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony?” Stop right there, because that’s where many of the admissions officers examining applications will stop, too. There are just too many teenagers aching to get into a university.

Now before these teenagers believe the “it won’t be on your record” line they’ll get from the district attorney and the judge, remember this. There is an attorney who says, “One call, that’s all.” Nowadays it’s “One Google search, that’s all.” Every college and university is on social media, as is every job big and small. And this little romp through Wal-Mart went viral.

For the rest of their lives, just to be safe, whether they think it will come up on a background check or not, it’s best to reveal this little escapade on every job application they fill out or risk being rejected or fired for lying. It will be a constant reminder that one stupid decision altered the course of their lives -- how they think about themselves -- and how others think about them.

Charles E. Richardson is The Telegraph’s editorial page editor. He can be reached at 478-744-4342 or via email at crichardson@macon.com. Tweet @crichard1020.

This story was originally published July 5, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Teens' run through Macon Wal-Mart a small prank with a big price."