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Sandifer lived his short life both terrorizing and terrorized. Since 1993, he was prosecuted at least eight times on felonies, including drug possession and armed robbery. He was convicted twice and given probation, the state's stiffest penalty for a child his age. But he first appeared in the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services' (DCFS) records in 1985 at the age of 22 months, for treatment of scratches on his neck and bruises on his arms and torso. On the afternoon of Jan. 19, 1986, police found him home alone with two brothers, then ages five and three. All had been abused. Just shy of his third birthday, Sandifer had scars on his face, numerous old, cordlike marks on his abdomen and burns on his neck and buttocks. At that time, his mother was under DCFS supervision because of burns her 16-month-old daughter had suffered around the genitals, buttocks and thighs. Yummy was moved into his grandmother's home but eventually spent most of his time with gang members down the street. "This young kid fell through the cracks," says Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. "He has been to the ((child)) abuse court. He's been in delinquency court. This has been going on for years."
In Roseland no one expects the gang violence to end. "Summer ain't up yet," says a man named Darryl, 27. "It's going to get worse than this." Just before Shavon Dean was killed, there had been night after night of AK-47 sprayings. The neighborhood is quiet now, Darryl explains, only because of the police and media attention. Still, the community is in shock and in mourning over the 11-year-old killer and his 14-year-old victim. "He was the baddest of bad," says Jeffrey Rowry, a local resident, "and she was the sweetest of sweet." In silent protest against the gangs, yellow ribbons have been tied around the trees on Shavon's block; baby-blue ribbons, alluding to Sandifer's age, decorate the home where he lived. Bay Sandifer, Yummy's aunt, walked over and hugged Shavon's mother. "We're all going to stick together," she said. "We're scared they're still out here. They ain't doing nothing but killing our kids."