Construction worker Kenneth White was driving down Interstate-75 on Oct. 18, ready to spend time with his fiancée and his 5-year-old son when suddenly, a 6-pound rock came plunging down from the overpass. The 6-pound mass hit him in the chest and face, and ultimately killed him. The five teenagers responsible for the incident have pleaded not guilty, and their trial is scheduled to take place in January 2018.

The five accused adolescents have been identified as Kyle Anger, 17; Mark Sekelsky, 16; Mikadyn Payne, 16; Alexzander Miller, 15 and Trevor Gray, 15. The teenagers were engaged in a game of “Dingy,” in which players catapult rocks from the overpass with the objective of hitting as many passing cars as they can. This seemingly harmless game turned brutal when a rock hit White, who was driving at a speed of 70 miles per hour, resulting in his immediate death. The teenagers reportedly threw over a dozen rocks off the interstate overpass, one of which weighed 20 pounds.

Presently, they are being tried as adults on several charges, including second-degree murder — a killing without premeditation, but with a desire to inflict harm. If convicted, they may face a maximum sentence of lifetime imprisonment due to their proximity to adulthood.

Although not commenting specifically on the Michigan case, Laurel Marks, Manager of the Juvenile Services Section of the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, provided some general information on juvenile justice in Virginia. “Juveniles are different from adults,” said Marks. “With respect to the system in Virginia, they should be offered services to meet the needs of juveniles while holding them accountable for the offenses that they have committed. Through our knowledge of adolescent brain development, we know that juveniles sometimes are impulsive and don’t understand the gravity of their actions.”

With the upcoming trial subject to take place in January, the dispute regarding whether the teenagers should be tried as juveniles or adults persists, with both sides having to take into consideration the repercussions of the boys being tried as adults and the effect on their futures, but also the severity of their actions.

Essentially, a lifetime in prison would translate into them losing their entire lives, and would completely diminish their future potential job offers or other opportunities to live life freely with such a criminal record.

“We know that brains are not fully developed until around age 25, so sentences for juveniles should consider that they are capable of rehabilitation,” said Marks. “Research shows us that juveniles tried as adults are more likely to revert back to criminal behavior, not less likely. Typically, there is no deterrent effect found by treating juveniles as adults. In fact, studies have shown that they commit new crimes sooner than individuals that are maintained in the juvenile system do.”

On the contrary, trial as juveniles would be an understatement of their crime and undermine the gravity of their actions. Shortly after they killed White, the boys made a casual trip to McDonald’s for dinner.

“They have the sense to know what is right and wrong, and what they were doing was potentially dangerous,” said junior Tania Godbole, a member of the Mock Trial team. “They at least knew the consequences of their actions — I’m  16 and I know not to do that, so they should have the sense not to do that.”

The seemingly plausible solution seems to be the middle ground between lifetime imprisonment and two year confinement: a three-year prison term along with youth detention and rehabilitation. This will give the teenagers a punishment that does not undermine the degree of their crime, but also gives them a chance to restart and lead a new life.

“[The boys] did do something that resulted in somebody’s death, so perhaps if they were let out on parole after a little bit of time because of their age when they committed the crime that could be possible but they still deserve punishment for what they did,” said Godbole.

What was supposed to be a harmless game turned into the devastating loss of Kenneth White, a beloved friend and family member. As the trial debate goes on, a strict punishment with the chance to start anew appears to be the solution that satisfies both opinions. Nevertheless, this unfortunate incident should remind teenagers to be more conscious of the magnitude of their actions and the potential ramifications they may have on their futures.