We still do not know why a Cape Fear High School student shot Catilyn Abercrombie.  Fayetteville Observer editors outline a number of possible explanations,

Was 15-year-old Catilyn Abercrombie shot on purpose? Was the shooting, whether intentional or accidental, gang-related? How did a weapon go unnoticed? How could a school resource officer have failed to spot the shooter?

What they do not mention is race.  Although police have not released information on the shooter, his accomplice was a black male.  The victim was a white female.  Surely, a white accomplice and a black vicitim would have prompted the media and others to identify the shooting as a racially-motivated one.

So, did the Cape Fear HS shooting have a racial element?  I sincerely hope not.  Racial violence is abhorrent.  But until the facts of the case are revealed to the public, it should be a consideration.