Mob killing The story about two men killed by a mob due to a traffic accident (seems like the driver ran a stop sign and injured three women) is rather bizarre. I just listened to a community representative on NPR trying to explain why people aren't coming forward and how such an act could have happened. She seemed to imply that people were in such shock they couldn't recall what happened exactly. Her description of her community indicated that it is moving up the economic ladder due to urban renewal programs. The solicitous NPR interviewer didn't really put a finger on any reason why this sort of act could have in 2002 in some part of the United States, but can't we guess? Certain inner city locales are basically lawless and simply don't follow the social and cultural norms prevalent in the rest of the country. In addition-law authorities have abdicated much of their responsibilities in these areas due to a combination of risk to officers and community activists who complain about police brutality. Update: Listen to the interview yourself-select "Chicago Beating Deaths."