Father of 4-year-old who shot to death 6-year-old neighbor pleads not guilty to endangerment

[onehandle]

Source: AP



The father of a 4-year-old boy who shot to death a 6-year-old neighbor with his father's unsecured gun has rejected a plea bargain that would have required him to serve seven years in prison.

Anthony Senatore of Toms River pleaded not guilty Monday to six counts of child endangerment.

The 34-year-old Senatore is accused of keeping a loaded .22-caliber rifle unsecured in his bedroom. That's where his son found it in April, took it outside, and shot 6-year-old Brandon Holt once in the head.

Senator's lawyer says his client is "deeply horrified over what took place and feels awful about it." But the lawyer says Senatore should not have been charged with a crime, saying the case belongs in civil court.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/18/father-4-year-old-who-shot-to-death-6-year-old-neighbor-pleads-not-guilty-to/

[Mira]

1. The problem of course is

that the 6 year old was not armed.

(I am horrified)

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

2. "deeply horrified over what took place and feels awful about it.".....

BUT MAAAAAAAHHHHHH GUUUUNZZZZZ!!!!!

[NYC_SKP]

3. Horrible in so many ways.

How can a man with children not have the sense to lock up his gun and ammo, how can he be so stupid as to keep a rifle unsecured AND LOADED???

Still, the 4 year-old child, already traumatized, may face a seven year period without his dad.

Nothing but grief and loss, some of it yet to come, from this tragic and stupid story.

[maxsolomon]

16. If it's for self-defense while you're sleeping

It is common to keep it loaded and unsecured next to your bed.

I don't know why one would be expecting a home invasion every night, but this is the reality many gun owners live - they want to have the weapon at hand just in case. There may be a real threat from living in a bad neighborhood or isolated in a rural setting, or there may just be fear and paranoia.

And babies shooting babies with those weapons is a predictable, albeit uncommon, result.

[NYC_SKP]

17. This is why ownership should require safety training. Schools should require parent classes.

If you have a child, even if you don't, adults obviously need training or they shouldn't have guns and ammo.

Every year upon enrollment, parents or guardians of school age kids should be required to attend short classes on gun safety, right along with the drug and tobacco trainings we've seen before.

Parents who don't own guns can still benefit from learning what to do if they find one, and what to remind their children to do an not do if they find one.

Waiting for shit to happen and then throwing the idiot in prison will solve nothing.

[jeff47]

20. Yeah...that's not gonna work well.

Any time you get on an airplane, you receive safety training that is absolutely critical for your survival if something goes wrong.

I don't think I've been on an airplane where more than 10% of the passengers are paying attention to that training.

Your proposal would result in the same thing - people show up to the annual training because they have to, ignore it, and then go back to their lives without changing any dangerous behavior.

[tblue]

23. Give them a test.

That'll wake them up.

[jeff47]

28. No, we do that with traffic school. Doesn't work there either.

In many states, you can take traffic school to make a traffic ticket "disappear".

So again, you have training that is extremely critical for safety. The people in the course pay attention enough to pass the (very easy) test, and then they go back to driving like maniacs.

This is not a situation where gun owners were not aware that an accidental shooting may happen. They know. They have decided to ignore that problem over their Tom Clancy-style fantasies. Additional training is not going to change that.

Which is why we need to require locking up the guns instead of hoping these gun owners would suddenly return to reality.

[maxsolomon]

33. mostly because they've heard it multiple times

and don't need it again.

some people fly so much they could give the presentation themselves.

[jeff47]

36. You mean just like the annual training in that proposal? (nt)

[maxsolomon]

43. yeah, probably

well-meaning solutions like that won't stop every incidence of babies shooting babies, because frankly, too many men in America are stupid, negligent, or bone idle. some of these incidents are not dad's gun, but big brother's gun, or uncle's gun, and they're not going to the hypothetical class.

but for children, repetition can be effective. and then, perhaps, like my kids with recycling, they'll become the enforcers of the protocols.

"daddy i found your gun, why doesn't it have a trigger lock on it?"

of course, in this instance, a 4 year old has never been to school. but he's probably seen die hard or star wars 10x. pew pew!

[RC]

38. How many of that 90% could give that safety training themselves, when asked cold?

I haven't done any flying in over three years. I think I can manage to "Click it" without a reminder. Also I make it a point to notice where the emergency exits are, when I get on. So, I am probably one of those 90% that appears not to be paying attention.

But then there are not usually too many loaded weapons on passenger planes. It is the people that feel they need quick access to loaded, point and shoot weapons that are the problem. Daddy needs to feel some legal pain for his responsibility for what his kid did.
At the very least, not being able to possess any fire arms till his youngest is able to vote.

[jeff47]

40. You mean just like the annual training in that proposal? (nt)

[Blue_Tires]

39. Like I've been saying:

If you need a safety class to know you shouldn't leave loaded weapons within reach of children or clean loaded weapons in front of family members, you're too fucking stupid to own them...

[passiveporcupine]

19. too bad it wasn't picked up by the child and aimed at the father while he was in bed then

Sorry...but if you have children that are too young to understand gun safety, you should not have a loaded gun that is accessible to the child. You could at least lock your bedroom door when you are not in it. A sliding bolt up near the top of the door where the kid can't reach it.

People who are that paranoid should not have children. I live in a rural area and I have no guns. I use dogs. They have protected me numerous times. People living in an area so dangerous that they need an easily accessible loaded gun in the house should not have kids living with them. It is putting the child at risk just for living there.

[appleannie1]

29. I live rural and have guns. We always kept them out of reach and unloaded and I have chased

intruders out of my house on 2 occasions. It only takes a second to slip a bullet into a gun the same as it only takes a second for a child to pull a trigger. I would rather use that second for the first instead of being a liable for the child's pulling a trigger.

[maxsolomon]

35. why are there so many rural intruders?

i'm not doubting you, i just don't understand. every home invasion story i hear about is in the country.

are they coming through locked doors? do you know what they were after?

my sister lives in the country with dogs, and without guns, & never locks her doors. hasn't had an intruder yet.

[christx30]

46. There was a story a year ago...

a woman who's husband had just died of cancer. Two men were breaking into her home hoping to get drugs that were left over after the husband died.. Cops were 45 minutes away as she was in the middle of nowhere. She was on the phone with 911 and asked if she could shoot. The operator told her to do what she feels she has to do to protect her family. She screamed at the two men multiple times to leave her alone, that she was armed. They kept coming. She ended up shooting and killing one of the men. The other ran off and was caught soon after.

[appleannie1]

61. She could have loaded a gun in that amount of time. There is no reason to leave a loaded gun in

a house with children inside.

[Thav]

60. Location maybe?

My in-laws have had many people case their farm. They're not too far away from town, but it'd still take a sheriff a good 10-15 mins to get there. I think it's mostly location. My in-laws' driveway is like 30' from a paved road so that might help.

They have dogs as well, and do lock their doors.

[Plucketeer]

48. They hear about it happening somewhere on the 6 O'clock news...

That must mean their house is next! Never mind that they have a way better chance of dying on thier commute to work.

[juajen]

21. He doesn't need a dad this stupid.

As a matter of fact, if the mother knew about this, and she should have, the child should be placed with the state. No way should this child stay in this house.

[Blue_Tires]

4. Despite the stories weekly from every part of the country...

It amuses me to no end that so many people continue to insist on leaving loaded weapons within the reach of children, and/or clean loaded weapons on the kitchen table a few feet away from family members....

[Demeter]

5. Does it make sense to society to imprison this man?

How about:

He pays money to the bereaved family...a %age of his annual income for 12 years, a debt that cannot be cancelled by bankruptcy, but could be paid off early.

He swears to never own a gun again.

He swears to teach his son never to touch a gun again.

[Crunchy Frog]

7. Yes.

[msanthrope]

10. Yes. nt

[TBF]

13. The NRA would probably pay it for him. But I do agree -

That something like community service rather than jail time could make sense here.

[Iggo]

15. Yes, absolutely.

[NYC_SKP]

18. No. Not at all. Your suggestion is better.

People who say "yes" just want revenge.

Sending this man away for seven years won't make a dent in the ignorance that will prevail, it won't be a deterrent to others.

Prison would be nothing but pain, and at the expense of taxpayers.

Work his ass off every weekend doing useful things for the community.

[AtheistCrusader]

24. Not true. 'Yes' also reflects a deterrence for others doing the same stupid thing.

There was no excuse for that. You cannot leave firearms unsecured around children, period. There are solutions that would allow him to access it in time of need AND prevent a child from obtaining access to the weapon.

It is a WEAPON. A lot of people don't get that. Mine stay in the safe. If I need quick access, there are solutions for this, both biometric safes, and quick access coded safes.

[NYC_SKP]

30. I don't believe that seven years in prison for this idiot will deter other idiots.

I don't think it will make a dent.

A bigger dent would be to have him stand with a sandwich sign every weekend in front of ammo stores and shooting ranges and get his message out.

Sitting in a cell for seven years does nothing for anyone.

[AtheistCrusader]

31. Why punish ANY fucking crime then?

Can we get 100% compliance? Probably not. But this doesn't share a lot of the same motivations/addictions/factors as the drug war.

I'd much rather toss him in jail for negligence (not sure about 7 years, seems a bit arbitrary, but some jail sentence is warranted) than a pot dealer.

[Crunchy Frog]

53. "Yes" is not just about revenge.

At least not for me it isn't. It's about communicating that society regards this as a genuine and serious crime.

But I'm beginning to think that society, and even much of DU doesn't see it that way.

If an "I'm weewy, weewy sowwy" is seen as sufficient, then it seems like killing a kid really isn't much of a crime, and I don't know why people are making such a fuss about this incident.

[NYC_SKP]

57. In prison, the man is a drain on our resources. Instead, he should be used to send the message.

He should be condemned to work, sending a share of his income to his victim's family.

And he should be required to do public service by speaking out on non work days.

This would be a win win, a form of punishment that is productive rather than costly to taxpayers.

In prison, no restitution to the family can ever be expected.

[Crunchy Frog]

59. Yes

Very good way of showing that society doesn't take this type of crime seriously.

[wickerwoman]

22. And he volunteers to speak at gun safety classes regularly

and he pays money to the bereaved family for the rest of their natural lives. The pain, not to mention loss of future potential and income, from losing a child doesn't expire after 12 years.

And he pays for therapy for his son.

That would be something approaching restitution.

[NYC_SKP]

32. Every Saturday stands in front of ammo shops and shooting ranges with a sandwich sign...

And tells his story.

And the other things you mention.

Sitting in a cell for seven years serves no purpose.

[Crunchy Frog]

54. It keeps him from endangering other people's lives.

[tblue]

25. Yes. It's way worse than drug possession.

Yes yes yes yes yes!

[eilen]

34. Drunk drivers who kill people in accident go to prison.

I think people who leave bombs out to blow up go to prison.

So yeah, I think this guy basically killed a 6 year old. It was totally preventable. He left a loaded gun sitting around for his 4 year old kid to pick up. What 4 year old boy can resist picking up a gun, real or toy?

[Orrex]

37. Terrific answer

[Humanist_Activist]

41. Blood Money, what is this, Saudi Arabia?

[christx30]

47. I say to jail people like this.

They are irresponsible with weapons. Just like if I were irresponsible driving and someone died. I would go to jail for vehicular manslaughter. This man messed up big time and should pay for it. It's not revenge. It's a warning to other gun owners. "if you have a gun, you MUST treat it with respect. You must be responsible. If you don't, you will lose your freedom."

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. 4 year old is in for a rough life

.
.
.

There will be of course his own guilt and sadness

and then the criticism of friends and neighbors.

The father AND mother should be held responsible for allowing this tragedy to happen.

I dunno if they broke any State or Federal laws,

but they sure broke laws of common sense.

Sad lives for all involved methinks.

No winners here.

(sigh)

CC

[polly7]

12. Yes, he is, unless he gets some decent counselling.

My 12 y/o school friend was shot by his brother, who's had a really awful life since. No-one blamed him but himself, and he's been on a more-or-less slow suicide ever since. These children need help and I hope this little boy gets it.

[otohara]

8. I'm Sick of These Being Described as Tragic Accidents

these so-called responsible gun owners don't want anything to do with taking... responsibility.

[PumpkinAle]

9. I think the father

should go to prison - as a message to others. Senatore is very much guilty of child endangerment.

People are not taking the precautions they should when having weapons in the house and it is time a stand was taken.

[kestrel91316]

11. "Endangerment"????????????? The man needs to be charged with reckless homicide at the very least.

[Iggo]

14. Dead kids are a small price to pay.

[Myrina]

26. Did he plead guilty to abject stupidity with a side of assholery?

[Katashi_itto]

27. Only seven years?

[go west young man]

42. Tragic story.

but why are we at Democratic Underground continuing to legitimize Faux news as a source? No offense to the poster but this story can easily be found elsewhere. Personally I would like to see a concentrated effort at DU to rid ourselves of Faux. It's the least we can do for ourselves. Continually posting and linking to Faux is equivalent to putting dollars in the pockets of the republican party and is right up there with supporting Rush Limbaughs advertisers. We shouldn't be doing it.

[NYC_SKP]

44. I looked for a different source for the story and found interesting things like this "Mulisha" decal

Weird neighborhood.

A decal on the side door of the home on McCormick Drive where a 6-year-old boy was shot in the head by his 4-year-old neighbor yesterday in Toms River. Occupnats of the house refused to answer the door when a Star-Ledger reporter knocked. 4/9/13 (Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/ocean/index.ssf/2013/04/neighborhood_in_mourning_for_6-year-old_toms_river_boy_fatally_shot_by_4-year-old.html

Related story: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/07/questions_and_sadness_remain_for_toms_river_family_whose_neighbors_child_fatally_shot_their_6-year-o.html

[KamaAina]

51. "The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office has taken control of the investigation."

The transfer, authorities in Ocean County said, was necessary because the 4-year-old boy has relatives who worked in law enforcement in Ocean County.

A review of records by The Star-Ledger shows the boy’s paternal grandmother, Gloria Senatore, was a lieutenant in the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office until her retirement in 2010. Her husband, Anthony Senatore, was a detective with the Jackson Police Department and also retired in 2010. And Gloria Senatore’s father, William Gallant, was captain of detectives in the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office until he retired in 1995.

So the father's dad is an ex-cop? Yet he learned not Thing One about how to handle guns?

[NYC_SKP]

52. Fucking amazing, isn't it?

Guns all over the place and this one .22 loaded.

A .22 would be the first gun a kid would pick up and think it can't hurt anyone.

All of them should have been locked up, of course, along with the ammo.

Just incredible.

[JI7]

45. the dad seems like a real piece of shit, i bet he still owns guns and would not give them up

7 years is nothing for the death of a child. and he thinks that is too much ?

[NYC_SKP]

49. He had several other guns, shotguns, and ammo laying about the house.

That is why the multiple charges for child endangerment, I imagine.

Still, locking him away in prison would have less impact than having him go on tour speaking publicly about his stupidity.

Also, in prison he can't earn any money to pay to the victims (the dead child's family), so the prison is just a stupid idea all around.

[Crunchy Frog]

55. If it was my kid who was killed

I wouldn't want the money, I'd want the perp to do hard time.

Send him on a speaking tour? The NRA would turn him into a celebrity and a hero.

[ReRe]

50. This is just another case of...

... an ignorant wimp coward who owns a gun. If I had been that man, I would have plead guilty and asked for more fucking time behind bars or the effing death penalty. What's wrong with confessing guilt? Pleading guilty wouldn't be the end of the world. I could not live with myself if I had been responsible for something like that and NOT plead guilty. For God's sake, what is wrong with people???? I give totally up.

[spin]

56. It's rare that any criminal pleads guilty and asks for more time behind bars or the death ...

penality.

Perhaps the reason that you are not a criminal stuck behind bars is that you are willing to accept responsiblility for your actions.

[ReRe]

58. That I am...

...if nothing else.