Was Justice Served for Ryan Arliskas?

The justice system continues to fail the citizens of Chicago. On April 8th, 2022 at approximately 10:30pm, 27-year-old Ryan Arliskas was walking home in the 2000 block of West 35th Street in Chicago. Ryan Arliskas, a talented local drummer, was accosted by three male teenagers who pushed him into an alley and shot him in the neck. Despite not stealing anything, they mercilessly took his life. Abandoned in the alley, Ryan was left to perish while the teenagers made their escape.

The video below taken on April 11, 2022, first shows Ryan's parents pleading for justice for their son. A son who was senselessly taken from them for no reason. The "Justice-Impacted Individuals" as offenders are now known as in Illinois were captured on surveillance video. The 14-year-old shooter was brought into custody in March of 2023.

On May 29, 2024, the judge sentenced him to 5 years with a one year already served. The "Justice-Impacted Individual" is now 16. Watching the parents' plea for justice to be served to the fullest extent and having this sentence come down must have hurt. Even though the shooter was 14 when he killed Ryan Arliskas, he still pushed an innocent man into a dark alley and shot him in the neck.

Let's break this down a little. First and foremost, where are the parents/guardians? Teenagers have been responsible for a bulk of violent crime in this city. We know they face no consequences for their actions thereby perpetuating the cycle of violence. Would it stand to reason that their guardians should share some of the responsibility for their actions? Maybe if adults faced some consequences and took responsibility for their children, the violence could at the very least slow down? I feel that there is no hope if no one is held accountable.

The teenagers were roaming the streets well after the city imposed 10:00pm curfew for those 17 and under. Bear in mind, teenagers who commit robberies and carjackings are often returned home after the arrest and rarely detained. That should shed a light on the severity of a city curfew violation which often leads to police officers taken off the streets to babysit. Additionally, it is important to mention that Mayor Brandon Johnson is opposed to implementing a curfew for teenagers.

Would it have been reasonable to charge the shooter as an adult for the murder? This wasn't a robbery, this wasn't self-defense, this was stone cold murder. The moment you take possession of a firearm, choose your victim, pull out a loaded firearm, point and shoot another human being, killing them, is the moment you should be treated as an adult and punished to the fullest extent of the law. Five years in a Cook County Juvenile Detention Center is an absolute joke for first degree murder. I believe Ryan Arliskas's father was correct when he said this brand of justice would not have happened outside Cook County.

Now for the uncomfortable but necessary conversation. Could this murder have been a hate crime? Imagine if three white teenagers pulled a black male into an alley and shot him in the neck and then ran off without taking any property. I believe this country would have been up in arms over what could seemingly be labeled as a hate crime. I realize that this topic is taboo and distressing, but I am trying to wrap my brain around the overwhelming violence in this city. If this weren't true, could it have been a senseless murder committed for the sake of excitement? That could be equally unsettling. It should be emphasized that even when the trial ended, no reason for the murder was ever provided.

Whatever the case may be, the justice system failed Ryan Arliskas and his family. This is the very same system that continues to fail it citizens each and every day. We know lawmakers have no issue or delay in implementing policies and making adjustments to safeguard "justice-impacted individuals", but for some reason they struggle to ensure the safety and protection of law-abiding citizens.