Video footage shows a sidewalk lemonade stand ran by white children in the city of Peoria, Illinois being robbed at gunpoint by black “teens,” who absconded with a take of $30 from the victim’s cash box.
13-year-old Jude Peterson was selling lemonade with his friends from a stand on the street corner in front of his parents’ home when the two suspects approached.
Video footage from a neighbor’s security camera captured what happened next. The leader of the duo displayed an object that appeared to be a firearm and snatched the cash box containing some $30 from the boys’ table.
The two suspects then fled on foot.
2 bIack guys (reportedly 1 teen) stole money from 2 white kids selling lemonade at a lemonade stand. $30 dollar total.
Bums, a Lemonade Stand? Dumbasses pic.twitter.com/I1IZW6VtTl
— King Ares ✞ (@throneofthesun) August 14, 2020
Jude Peterson’s father Nathan described the experience as “pretty intense” in an interview, stating, “I just almost blacked out a little bit.”
Despite the initial shock of hearing that his son had been the victim of a violent crime, Nathan Peterson said the real impact of the crime was the kindness and compassion later shown towards the boys’ lemonade business by neighbors.
Police are still searching for the suspects.
Despite being a particularly bizarre and egregious crime, the story has not received coverage outside of social media. Comparisons have been drawn to the recent murder of 5-year-old white boy Cannon Hinnant, who was executed at point blank range in front of his sisters on his front lawn.
A hashtag #SayHisName campaign for Hinnant’s family broke into the mainstream on Thursday, forcing the story to be seen by millions of Twitter users who would have not heard about it otherwise.
