9 AUGUST 2022 – Jayceon Charles, age 8, accepted an invitation to spend the night at the Warren, Arkansas home of his white friend in order to join the family on a trip to a nearby amusement park the following day. When everyone’s parents agreed on a time for drop-off, Jayceon’s parents took their son to his friend’s house and believed he would be in good hands.

Later that evening, Jayceon’s parents got a call from their son, but he hung up when they picked up. When they called him back, all they could hear was their third-grader yelling hysterically in the background. They discovered their son at the friend’s house, covered in vaseline and plastic wrap, as they hurried to help him.

Jayceon was taken to the hospital with severe burns covering 80% of his body, kidney failure, brain damage, and sepsis, a potentially fatal medical emergency in which the body reacts violently to an infection. He underwent multiple surgeries, had 5 inches of his small intestine removed, needed to be revived twice, and was placed on a ventilator.

The burn occurred while Jayceon was roasting hot dogs with his friends, according to the family at the house, and an explosion happened. They couldn’t explain why they chose not to dial 911 when questioned about it. Jayceon’s parents think the family is hiding the truth about what really happened to their son, and it seems like no one is concerned because they are having trouble getting information from the authorities who have not gotten in touch with them.

Even the hospital staff didn’t do their job and didn’t call the police as they would have in a situation like this. The Charles Family is being forced to believe that this is a case of racism because the other family is white because of the silence and lack of compassion shown.