7-year-old faces 2 felony charges for shooting BB gun

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  • pirate

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    Jul 2, 2011
    968
    18
    Get what he deserves. Guess his parents should have raised him better. Good way for someone to lose control and get killed. My neighbor had her back window shot out with a bb/pellet gun while driving when we were younger, it startled her and she jerked the wheel right into a light pole and died.

    Gotta have some responsibility when you let you're kids play around with projectiles.
     

    BogWalker

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Jan 5, 2013
    6,305
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    What happened to a stern talking by your local officer and a swift spanking? I do wonder why they hadn't told him not to shoot at vehicles, or abandoned houses for that matter. I don't think they taught him the proper safety with a BB gun, but this certainly doesn't warrant a felony in my book.

    Lapse in judgement for both parents and police. Ridiculous situation.
     

    HmDBrian

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Mar 24, 2011
    362
    16
    valparaiso
    Kids do stupid things. As for the ones saying parents must jot of taught him proper gun rules, your probably wrong. Me and my buddies did this when we were young, we knew it was wrong, but to young to understand the actual consequences and what can happen resulting our action. The main problem with this one is the parents allowing a 7 yo with a bb gun alone. Dont get me wrong, I think its good to start them young (my 4 yo has a bb gun of her own) but you have to be there with them at ALL times.
     

    level.eleven

    Shooter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    May 12, 2009
    4,673
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    No one will be convicted of a felony. That said, shooting across roads is a safety violation. Hitting a moving car warrants punishment. Some community service is certainly warranted.
     

    IndyDave1776

    Grandmaster
    Emeritus
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    12   0   0
    Jan 12, 2012
    27,286
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    This is a special type of stupid. Several public officials apparently need fired. One kid needs his seat warmed up. At the rate this is going, I can't wait until failure to wear a seatbelt becomes a felony.
     

    RabbleRouser

    Sharpshooter
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    2   0   0
    Dec 24, 2011
    582
    16
    Mishawaka
    why were the "Parents" allowing his to shoot at the house across the street in the first place? abandoned or not its just not the kind of thing that a responsible parent should allow
     

    Expat

    Pdub
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    23   0   0
    Feb 27, 2010
    108,727
    113
    Michiana
    But for the grace of God.... I did a lot of stupid things when I was that age. I just didn't have anything too bad happen as a consequence. I agree this was the kind of thing that called for a good whipping in the old days and take away the BB gun until he is more responsible.
     

    Faine

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    4   0   0
    Feb 2, 2012
    1,116
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    Indy (South Side)
    You give a monkey a gun and the monkey shoots someone you don't blame the monkey. The 7 year old while doing wrong should have been supervised by RESPONSIBLE adults. The parents should face criminal neglect and endangerment charges if not more.
     

    silverspoon

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    6   0   0
    Mar 4, 2010
    389
    18
    Bloomfield
    Kids will be kids. Parents can't be there all the time. I shudder to think of all the "felonies" the neighborhood kids and I could have been charged with when we was a mere 7 years old. But alas, times were different. If you threw rocks or shot a BB gun at a car there was a pretty good chance the driver would stop and beat your ass and then tell your parents and they would thank the driver for beating your ass and when the driver left they would beat your ass again for causing a ruckus and embarrassing them. Political correctness and this touchy feel good society we live in isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be.
     

    silverspoon

    Sharpshooter
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    6   0   0
    Mar 4, 2010
    389
    18
    Bloomfield
    HaHa and just think we lived through all that without the proper safety gear. If anyone would have even suggested safety glasses you would have been forever labeled that forbidden word that begins with a p and ends with a y and your momma would have worn combat boots too. :D
     

    Expat

    Pdub
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    23   0   0
    Feb 27, 2010
    108,727
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    Michiana
    Yep, used to ride around on my bike with the banana seat with either a BB gun or fishing pole... And no helmet either...
     

    Audie Murphy

    Master
    Rating - 95.2%
    59   3   0
    Sep 21, 2010
    2,102
    48
    Warsaw
    When I was in 6th grade,back in the 70's, I used to walk around a neighborhood park with my Red Ryder BB Rifle. Never got in trouble. I remember 1 time being talked to by a undercover police officer,but he did not arrest me or take away my rifle, but I wasn't shooting at houses or cars either.
     

    femurphy77

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Mar 5, 2009
    20,268
    113
    S.E. of disorder
    The irony of the story and some of the comments both on this board and attached to the article make me laugh.

    How many stories have we read with outrage where the child wasn't punished? Or how many times has the issue of child coddling and helicopter parents been beat to death? Here we have a child that did something stupid and he is going to be punished for it and we are all ready to go to war because somebody is over-reacting.

    I agree that felony charges are over doing it a tad but their law is written to include a bb gun as a firearm (I am taking this for granted because one of the posters to the article state that in North Carolina even a bow and arrow are included in this definition).

    Will it teach the kid a lesson? Most definitely. Will it outrage people? Yup. Should the parents bear some responsibility here? Yes.

    Will it scar him for life? Only if the parents allow it. He can be taught his lesson, and hopefully learn from it but when he turns 18 his record is expunged anyway.

    Waste of resources, yes.
     
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Aug 23, 2009
    1,822
    113
    Brainardland
    Whoa...shooting at a HOUSE?? Shooting at CARS?? The charges are completely appropriate.

    Felony and misdemeanor means nothing in juvenile court especially at this kid's age.
     

    BudS

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 3, 2013
    119
    16
    Jeffersonville, IN
    I would charge the parents with the felonies. If you can't teach you child better than that and also fail to properly supervise him, than you should pay the penalty, not the kid.

    Lazy parenting will be the downfall of this country....
     
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