Karl is looking at the media when he asks the question after watching the extensive coverage of the Liquarry (Laquarrie?) Jefferson case:

... I don't understand why a child's murder is manipulated by the media to be more tragic than the murder of a 20-50 year old. Death is death ... and if the victim was in fact a victim (innocent bystander versus gang member), I think they all should get the same amount of sympathy. People (and the media) just see a cute kid's school photo on the TV and act like it's the worst thing ever. Yet the same exact thing has happened 30 other times in Boston this year alone (and hundreds of times throughout the country). ...

Will then extends the question to men and people in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Dremari writes that he knew the little boy shot to death last night, allegedly by his 7-year-old cousin:

It hurts my heart to hear that because I witnessed how good of a kid Laquarrie was. My little sister attended school with him and played with him after school. I was playing basketball with him one day. He did not have a good shot because of his size so i lifted him up so he could shoot the ball. ...

Crazy James writes:

We have the police, we have SWAT, we had the friggin Angels walking the streets and still Boston is suffering from more and more murders. What will it take to get the sanity back into our fair city? When will the violence end? The pointless death of an 8 year old boy in Dorchester might be the begining. ... Whether it is gang related or not...a family will not be able to see a young child grow into a man. Farewell Laquarrie, may angels guide you home.

The Herald talked to the principal at his school:

... "He was a lovely little boy, a sweet little boy, who would help any of his classmates," said Michele O'Connell, principal of the John P. Holland Elementary School in Dorchester. "He was always smiling. ...

Update: Investigators now say a 7-year-old cousin playing with an illegal gun shot him, the Herald reports. See the comments for a statement from the DA.

Laquarrie Jefferson was shot to death shortly after 11 p.m. last night at 266 Seaver St., when three men burst into his apartment and opened fire.

"I am stunned and saddened by the news of Laquarrie's death," police Commissioner Ed Davis said. "His young life has been cut tragically short by senseless gun violence."

The Herald reports three men stormed the apartment, kicking open the door and opening fire.

The Globe has more.

In April, 2006, a 14-year-old girl was stabbed in a fight at the same address.