On Sunday, 15-year-old Teven Rutledge was shot in the face as he played with friends on the front steps of a Philadelphia area rowhouse. The reason for the shooting? A misdirected snowball. It is still unclear whether the snowball was misdirected maliciously or not, and if so, who was hit by it. Some accounts say that it hit the adult, who then ran home for a gun and returned to exact vengeance. Others say the snowball hit another boy who was not playing with the group on the steps, and that the child reported the incident to the adult shooter. It is not even clear whether Teven was the one who actually threw the offending snowball. In any case, when the adult returned with the gun, he shot Teven in the face. Tragically, the boy died in the hospital the next day. Obviously, the literal snowball wasn't the main problem in this appalling incident. It was the figurative snowball: the escalating actions and reactions, and the fact that there were several crossroads along the way that might have led to a different outcome. What kind of person murders another—for any reason? The police have yet to find the suspect, but clearly this is not a rational person, and there is no excuse for his action. As the boy's father asked, "What grown man is going to shoot a kid over a snowball?" Several published comments from those close to the incident also speak to the "butterfly effect" of other factors that add to the tragedy. One resident of the area commented that the group of teens often congregated on the front steps of the same rowhouse to taunt those who passed. Another neighbor said that when the snowball hit its target, the man threw snow back—and that this led to an exchange of words. The man then reportedly left, threatening to return with a gun. The boys, apparently not taking his threat seriously, remained on the porch. There is no indication that police were called at that time, or that the teens considered relocating, although one parent did instruct Teven to remain inside. He did not, however. Police are still looking for the suspect, who is believed to be a resident of the neighborhood where Teven was shot. That the boy was murdered is a horrible tragedy. That it was over a snowball fight, and possibly ongoing relationship problems that should have been avoidable makes it doubly tragic. | 
