Outrage after popular students are found murdered in man's basement after 'they robbed his home on

They didn't deserve to die.

Friends and family have expressed their outrage over the deaths of two popular students shot by a homeowner while they robbed his home - as he revealed he fired 'more shots than he needed to'.

The bodies of cousins Haile Kifer, 18, and Nicholas Brady Schaeffel, 17, were found in Byron Smith's basement in Little Falls, Minnesota on Friday - the day after they were shot dead on Thanksgiving.

When police arrived at his home after reports of suspicious activity, Smith, 64, confessed to shooting the teenagers repeatedly and stashing their bodies after they broke into his home, authorities said.

On Monday, he was charged with second-degree murder and police revealed he told them he fired more shots than necessary after his gun jammed and Kifer laughed at him.

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Role model? Star students? How about repeat break and enter / robbery suspects. If they weren't breaking and entering NOTHING WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I am sure the usual anti-gun membership on ATS will say he shouldn't have defended his home and property, but like I said, if they weren't breaking the law they would still be alive today. Parents are in part to blame, obviously they didn't teach their children the proper respect of others property and rights. Tired of the "good kids" excuse, your actions have consequences, just as these two found out.

Don't rob peoples houses.....can't say much more than that.

At that age, they could've given the guy a heart attack and he'd be the one dead.

I say again, don't rob peoples houses.

CX.

Great post OP.

These young adults would still be alive had they not been criminals.

S+F

they were no longer a threat to him after he shot them the first time....he then executed them
then not reporting it to the police....something is not right with this story

it amazing how irrational people get when they fear there freedom and life. He should of called to police as soon as possible after the shooting. Im sure hiding the bodies has hurt his defense.

Perhaps he was in shock?

It happens and affects people differently.

Ok, they shouldn't have robbed the house.

They still didn't deserve to die.

There's no good answer on this. The shooter was probably within his rights, I'm not going to blame guns. But I actually got caught burglarizing a house when I was 16, and six years later consider myself to be a pretty good citizen. I would like to become even more productive and ethical. Many people come out of a rebellious late teens phase and do good things in the world.

Some sympathy is appropriate.

ETA: Now after reading the link...my mind has changed. The homeowner seems to have not been within his rights. His crime was far worse than two teenagers breaking and entering, and he should spend time in jail. Perhaps even the rest of his life, as he is 64.

When police arrived at his home after reports of suspicious activity, Smith, 64, confessed to shooting the teenagers repeatedly and stashing their bodies after they broke into his home, authorities said. On Monday, he was charged with second-degree murder and police revealed he told them he fired more shots than necessary after his gun jammed and Kifer laughed at him.

He wouldn't have been confused on what to do if they hadn't come into his home, outlaws get outlaw treatment.

Originally posted by PatrickGarrow17
Ok, they shouldn't have robbed the house.

They still didn't deserve to die.

Why not?

Now they won't rob anybody else's house.

reply to post by MidnightTide


I agree completely. I am also a firm believer that one should be able to defend his home with lethal force if need be. If you don't want to die, don't break into my home. Plain and simple. I mean seriously, what did they expect? The homeowner to ask them to leave and put his belongings down? o... and if its not to big of a hassel, to pay for the broken window/door. Seriously, how could he have known that they didn't have a gun tucked into their pants.

But to be honest, the excessive shooting and stashing the bodies was probably what cause him to get a 2nd degree charge. That was a little much... A normal person would have probably called for help after the scene was controlled.

welll if you dont want to die, dont climb into the lions cage with a steak tied to your neck !!!! i mean really what did they expect ,

reply to post by Annee


Which states in America prosecute this type of crime as a capital offense?

It's ridiculous to say that people who commit relatively petty crimes deserve to dies. I would agree that they deserve to go to prison for a few years, or maybe shot in the shoulder. But there seems to be this concerning mentality in some Americans that anyone who trespasses is asking for a bullet in the head. That's a savage mentality. You call the police, fire a warning shot maybe and tell them if they don't leave they are risking their lives.

Plus, this guy seemingly killed them out of anger, and not defense.

Rob my house? Come onto my property?

If this happened to me, I'm going to think that MAYBE they have weapons.

I'd shoot. BUT, I wouldn't hide the bodies. Maybe he did so because he knew that he's no longer allowed to use force to protect his property nor himself. He's just supposed to take it and report later.

We'll see what happens.

Peace

They should have read the sign out the front of his house

Oh jeez "anti gun members" give me a break. People should be able to defend their property but guns should be a last resort. On the story, this guy should not have had a gun. He was goaded into murder because he was mocked and clearly lacked the self control a gun owner should have; lethal force was unnecessary as these kids were not out to harm him. He deserves to rot and jail and these kids did not deserve to die.


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Considering the man's responses to the police, he should be charged with first degree murder instead of second degree, but well then he WAS defending his property. Generally I am the one jumping up and down defending gun rights and protecting the home against invasion, but this guy is way over the top with the multiple gunshot wounds and getting the good clean kill shot from under the girl's chin into her brain after shooting her with two different guns after the first one jammed. That is way beyond self defense, even here in Texas.

ganjoa

Originally posted by PatrickGarrow17
reply to post by Annee

 

Which states in America prosecute this type of crime as a capital offense?

I live in Arizona. Any more questions?

Kids or not - - this is the last house they rob.

reply to post by Annee


Well, this crime wouldn't be punishable by death in AZ..

And I view the mindset of death for anyone who trespasses to be disproportionate.

Sorry but they got what was coming to them... It would of happened sooner or later... I see people here saying that they didn't deserve to die... Can you imagine people breaking in to your house right now? How do you know their intentions? How do you know they are not armed?

What would you do? Politely ask them to leave? Get in a fist fight and possibly be the one ending up dead? Why would you risk that for people that couldn't give a damn about YOU?

At the end of the day if these didn't break into someones home they would not be dead!

There was a farmer in the UK who had repeated break ins, the police did nothing, one day he shoots one of them in the back killing him after the 6-7th time he'd been robbed... The guy went to prison and there was such an uproar that he was eventually let out early and rightly so!

Why the hell shouldn't people be able to protect their home with deadly force?

reply to post by mee30


Take a position of advantage, around a corner for example, fire a warning shot and tell them to get out, call the cops if possible before the standoff...

Killing an intruder should be the absolute LAST resort, it wasn't in this case.