1,000 mourn beaten Chicago teen

CHICAGO, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- More than a thousand people turned out in Chicago Saturday to mourn a 16-year-old honors student beaten to death on his way home from school.

"The killings keep coming -- one need not to be guilty to be killed in this war zone," the Rev. Jesse Jackson said before the service for Derrion Albert, whose Sept. 24 beating death was caught on video.

"We must declare a state of emergency. We have an obligation to prepare for our children safe passage," Jackson said at Greater Mount Hebron Baptist Church on the city's South Side, CNN reported.

Albert unwittingly walked into a fight between two factions of youths from Christian Fenger Academy High School. He was beaten with a railroad tie, kicked and punched, authorities said.

The victim's mother, An-Janette Albert, wept as loved ones embraced her Saturday.

Four suspects have been charged with first-degree murder in the death, and police are searching for others.

President Barack Obama plans to send Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder to Chicago next week to talk with students and the community about school violence, the White House said.