The issue no longer was the heartbreaking tragedy of the killing of a prized and endangered animal. Nor was it simply heaving a big sigh of collective relief and much joy that a child was saved. The issue now was the enraged fingerpointing at the parents for bad parenting. Equally enraging was the counter-charge that the only reason there were such accusations was because they were black. Cincinnati police officials raised the stakes in the debate when they announced with great fanfare that the parents could face charges presumably for child negligence or endangerment.