Boy, 7 mistaken for trespasser and shot!

I agree what a bunch of low lifes from the looks of them and their property who on earth would want anything of theirs,must less tresspass on the land dump they call home,well this was done in Texas,that one dude got off for shooting to unarmed guys on neighbors lawn killed them and got away with it,so seems given the situation they might get off too,so much for the state of Texas,sounds like a good place to be from IMO

I still say, if this were my child, or any of my nieces/nephews, I would be the first to post their bail. I would be praying they did not go to jail, because I could never get to them there.

I agree with everyone on both sides of this, it is horrible, that child and his family did not deserve this, and they will probably never recover from it.

The gun laws have nothing to do with this, not even the castle doctrine. First is was a shotgun, they are not regulated by any law I know of, so all those assault weapons bans, magazine limits, etc. do not apply.

Second, they shot blindly into a dark wooded area! They weren't defending life/limb/property. They don't own livestock. The castle doctrine is moot. Shooting blindly is never acceptable for any reason, you can't even justify that logic if you think it is zombies and werewolves out there.

The pain of that father watching his child die will never go away, but some solace will come if he gets to watch life drain from the people responsible, and it will be that much sweeter if it comes at his own hands. I don't believe in state executions, I believe in an eye for an eye, and he certainly has a temporary insanity defense locked up. Kill them, go to court, get some prozac and counseling!

reply to post by Kailassa


Respect 2u for disclosing that!!



I am from the UK so also have to use non violent means and various de escalation tactics to defuse situations(I work with people with extremely challlenging behaviour) Its quite a skill to learn though.....

I personally think maybe you need some Kind of testing process before you are allowed to own a gun, also some training in using one would be mandatory.... We test and train poeple before they are allowed to drive, and a car can be a serious weapon!!

reply to post by getreadyalready


couldn't agree more, was reading this thread early in the morning and it spoilt my mood and my day..

I prayed that the poor kid is with the light and letting go of the fact that he is no longer with this world (this will be tough, I can almost hear the agony, the pain and the scream..) and follow the guidance of the light to continue his journey..

my heart goes with the father who has to watch his son die in pain, he will never recover, his family will never recover..

This makes me sick.......was someone gonna steal their single-wide???

Flippin' rednecks. Makes me want to brutally repress everyone with a confederate flag or a camo hat.

Originally posted by slinkey10
I am from the UK so also have to use non violent means and various de escalation tactics to defuse situations(I work with people with extremely challlenging behaviour) Its quite a skill to learn though.....

Pity you weren't at Virginia Tech, just think of all those lives you could have saved with your de-escalation tactics.

Reading British posts I am ceaselessly reminded of the reason we revolted.

These redneck idiots opened fire without warning - hard to de-escalate buckshot when it's in flight.

[edit on 11-5-2009 by Retseh]

Originally posted by Grafilthy
This makes me sick.......was someone gonna steal their single-wide???

Theft may not have been the only concern. Of course, all of this could have been avoided if the adults in this group had any respect for private property. Imagine you looking out your back window one day and some a-holes were ripping up your back yard with their ATVs. You'd be pretty mad too, maybe not mad enough to shoot someone, but you'd realize who the perpetrators/criminals were, and who was the victim.

Originally posted by Oldtimer2
I agree what a bunch of low lifes from the looks of them and their property who on earth would want anything of theirs,must less tresspass on the land dump they call home,well this was done in Texas...

Glad you are able to be such a great judge of people based on their material possessions. They could be very poor. They might not feel the need for lavish belongings. They might have moved there from California...

Ed:sp

[edit on 5/11/2009 by roadgravel]

Originally posted by Divinorumus

Originally posted by Grafilthy
This makes me sick.......was someone gonna steal their single-wide???

Theft may not have been the only concern. Of course, all of this could have been avoided if the adults in this group had any respect for private property. Imagine you looking out your back window one day and some a-holes were ripping up your back yard with their ATVs. You'd be pretty mad too, maybe not mad enough to shoot someone, but you'd realize who the perpetrators/criminals were, and who was the victim.

It is fairly common practice to take Jeeps, trucks, atv's, etc onto public land and go "off-roading." That is the case here, the jeep was not on private property, the people were only on the edge of the clearing to relieve themselves.

If you are from the city, it may not be familiar, but taking your 4x4 or Jeep, Motorcycle, ATV or whatever out into the National Forests, Mud Bogs, etc. is perfectly legal, enjoyable, and expected in the Rural areas.

OK I'll play devils advocate.

"IF" it turns out that the group really was trespassing, shouldn't the dead boys father be somewhat responsible? I know I taught my children to respect other peoples private property and that trespassing is illegal. If the property owner wanted to share his property with every Tom Dick and Hairy, there wouldn't be a sign posted? Whatever gave this father the idea he had the right to disrespect someone else's home without consequence?

Why should the property owner be forced to buy a fence or spikes for tires to keep others off their property, especially when they've already gone through the trouble of putting up a sign that clearly states keep out? They pay their hard earned money for that property, it isn't a public park. The shooters may live in a trailer but that doesn't make their home any less important than a cracker box tract home or a mansion. It's their home, no less important than mine.

And speaking of people with private property signs and mean dogs... I have both for my protection, not because I'm doing anything illegal. The meth problem is huge in the US and the police don't seem to be in much of a hurry to come out and boot the meth heads who parked an RV on our back forty to manufacture meth, nor are they to quick to stop those cutting down our trees for firewood.

If there's a sign posted and you get shot shouldn't you be responsible? Last I checked trespassing was illegal.

reply to post by Divinorumus

I would be mad......mad enough to maybe......yell at them? Confront them???

Definitely not to shoot blindly at a 7 year old WITH A 12 GAUGE!!
I believe in having a right to bear arms......but there should be an IQ test to go along with it. I bet their county has an average IQ of 40.

My fix to the problem???? Give out 100 condoms with every confederate flag sold!!!!

reply to post by roadgravel

They might not feel the need for lavish belongings. They might have moved there from California...

How did they afford the gun then?

Originally posted by getreadyalready
That is the case here, the jeep was not on private property, the people were only on the edge of the clearing to relieve themselves.

Ah, I stand corrected then. If this dude shot this kid on the edge of his properly, then his goose is cooked and he'll be spending the rest of his life as somebodies wife in prison.

Yeah, I know off-roading is allowed on select PUBLIC property, but I also know a lot of people out there do not care about other peoples private property. Here in Minnesota ya got boat loads of idiots that tool across people snow covered front yards in the winter on their snowmobiles, ripping up their dormant gardens, destroying shrubbery, knocking down fences, etc. Worse yet, some of them butt heads around here rip up paved public trails with those treads on their snowmobile tracks.

Anyhow, I find it appalling that anyone would just SHOOT without first identifying the target. Makes me wonder though, how could he have shot this kid without seeing him, was the guy just firing randomly into the trees because he heard a noise? I don't suppose that guy gets too many visitors.

reply to post by wyleecoyote


You can't honestly think trespassing should carry a death penalty!?! Sure if they were deep into his property, looting, vandalizing, cattle rustling, etc., then he had a right to confront them. Call the police, keep them at gunpoint, fire warning shots to scare them away, even shoot them if they resisted or posed a threat.

This article says they stopped on public land, and went into the bushes for privacy to use the restroom. They were not approaching the home.

No way this is justified, a police officer would go to jail for using this type of un-warranted force. I play Devil's advocate once in a while, but in this case there is no good alternative position.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
No way this is justified, a police officer would go to jail for using this type of un-warranted force.

Are you kidding me? Pigs ,.. err I mean cops, shoot people all the time without taking them to court first to be found guilty and deserving of a death sentence. Heck, you have soldiers dropping bombs on people, often killing many innocent people, and they are welcomed home as heroes (BARF!).

This is surely a sad story. Definitely one should have a right to protect their property, but one should really KNOW what's going on and who they are shooting at, before doing so.

Originally posted by Grafilthy
reply to post by roadgravel

 

They might not feel the need for lavish belongings. They might have moved there from California...

How did they afford the gun then?

It could have been a gift. The point is to not judge a person by his possessions.

reply to post by Retseh


Maybe you missed the bit were I said "I personally think maybe you need some Kind of testing process before you are allowed to own a gun, also some training in using one would be mandatory"

Ok, having just read about Virginia Tech massacre"The massacre prompted rapid changes in Virginia law that had allowed Cho, an individual adjudicated as mentally unsound, to purchase handguns without detection by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System".

So you need to improve that system...what more could I argue about that! I said "you need some Kind of testing process before you are allowed to own a gun". Im talking about some kind of personality/psychometric testing.

Its a start because the current system doesn't work and/or is open to error......thats all I was trying to say!

And thank God we are not allowed to own guns in the UK.

You can't honestly think trespassing should carry a death penalty!?!

reply to post by getreadyalready


I believe that if someone trespasses on my property, in a state that says it's legal to shoot trespassers, that they have committed suicide, rather than got the death penalty.

If people are trespassing on my property when I've posted signs not to do so, I'm going to assume they intend to do me harm. What if one of those meth heads start a fire and it burns my house to the ground with my children sleeping inside? You would be happier if that happened than if I shot them for trespassing?

Why is it so hard for people to take personal responsibility for their actions? My property is not your property, I have a right to defend it.

reply to post by wyleecoyote


I would expect you to confront them and defend your property, if it turns out to be a 7 yr old lost in the woods, are you still gonna shoot them just because it is quasi-legal?!

What if it is a screaming bloody woman carrying a knife and running toward your house, you gonna shoot her, or find out what she is running from and who's blood it is?

I own dozens of guns, and I would defend my property by all means necessary, but like I said before, even if my neighbors scream zombies are approaching, I won't shoot blindly into the woods! Some people do not deserve guns, if it is too much trouble to identify your target, you don't deserve a gun, and you better pray no one I love is ever on the receiving end of an ego-centric execution of your 'right.'

Originally posted by wyleecoyote

I believe that if someone trespasses on my property, in a state that says it's legal to shoot trespassers, that they have committed suicide, rather than got the death penalty.

If people are trespassing on my property when I've posted signs not to do so, I'm going to assume they intend to do me harm. What if one of those meth heads start a fire and it burns my house to the ground with my children sleeping inside? You would be happier if that happened than if I shot them for trespassing?

Why is it so hard for people to take personal responsibility for their actions? My property is not your property, I have a right to defend it.

Good!

I prayed that one day your son or daughter (below 7 of cause, why raise them to more than 7 just to be shot in the head for tresspassing) will somehow tresspass some nut's property and get shot.. True to the interpretation and the spirit of the state's law.

[edit on 12-5-2009 by digital_desire]