Elderly Woman Shoots 12-Year-Old Boy who was Constantly Harassing Her

[RamboLiberal]

-----

Neighbors said an elderly woman was fed up with constant harassment from a 12-year-old boy, so she took a gun and shot the child after he and his friends threw bricks into her home.

-----

Neighbors said the boy was the ringleader of a group of kids, and had been holding his own little reign of terror on the block – especially targeting Matthews.

"I call him the little bad boy," said another neighbor, Hilda Brunt.

McCoy said the boy had been breaking windows, breaking items on Matthews' shed house, and setting her garbage on fire.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/elderly.woman.shoots.2.1936778.html

On edit more on story:

''The little boys have been harassing her, coming in her yard. They burned her grill up last year,'' neighbor Hilda Brunt said. ''They would curse her out. I told her last week we need to go and talk to his parents."

Neighbor Jason Jones, who was helping to board up the house while the woman was in custody, said he often had to confront the boys to get them to leave the woman alone.

''They did terrorize her,'' Tnoila McCoy said. ''Before, they tried to burn her house down."

McCoy added: "I felt she did the right thing . . . She was in tears. She was defending herself. She was an emotional wreck.''

http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/2756048,CST-NWS-rock29.article

Neighbors say they were shocked by the gunfire, but they had little sympathy for the 12-year-old boy. They say he has a reputation in the neighborhood for being a troublemaker.

"He broke her window. He set her grill on fire. He started a fire last year across the street at the row houses. I had to call the fire department," said Hilda Brunt, the suspected shooter's neighbor. "I know it's the same boy."

"The woman who did the shooting said she had enough. They set garbage cans on fire, her barbecue pit. This is not the first time," said Frenchie Johnson, the suspected shooter's neighbor.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7695625

Sounds like the cops and kids parent(s) weren't taking care of the problem so she resorted to a gun. Not best solution but you almost can't blame her.

[slackmaster]

1. That's one way to respond to bullying, once the bullies cross a certain line.

Bricks can kill.

[hlthe2b]

4. Hard to condone her shooting him, but I can certainly empathize

having seen 12 year old bullies that were as much a threat as any similar 25 year old cretin. I hope they go light on her and get this kid into some kind of supervised program.

[sinkingfeeling]

24. The kid's been charged, but not the woman.

Now, the boy is charged with a crime, while the 68-year-old woman is not.

The boy who was shot, along with another boy, 13, are cited in juvenile delinquency petitions with one count each of misdemeanor aggravated assault to a senior citizen, according to police.

The woman, identified by neighbors as Margaret Matthews, was released from police custody without being charged, on the grounds that she acted in self defense, police said.

[hlthe2b]

30. Good... Some DA was using common sense

[BlancheSplanchnik]

149. THANK GOODNESS!

Finally, someone defending themselves is seen by the court as defending themselves!

I'm so happy for her!

She should be given a hero's commendation!!!!

[whathehell]

163. Yup....the result of the combined failure of social and parental controls.

As the report says, this kid tried to BURN HER HOUSE Down...Some might call that Attempted Murder.

[Lorien]

164. It's sad that the kid's family is refusing too hold him at fault for anything

which has probably always been the case, which is why the event happened in the first place. He's never been held accountable for his actions by anyone (gee-sounds like a recent former President we all know). I'm no fan of guns but I can certainly understand why she was trying to scare them off with one. I was harassed nonstop by a pack of pre-teen boys when I was a preteen myself and I would have done almost anything to stop it.

[hendo]

168. It was self defense, what do you want? NT

[Warpy]

62. That would be the best outcome

They can get the little thug into a program now or pay for his incarceration later, probably after he does kill her.

Setting fires is serious stuff, folks. Her life was in danger and the use of deadly force was indicated, although the legal system won't see it that way. I just hope the jury does.

[roguevalley]

159. actually, I am on her side. older woman living alone and some

little fucker burning her stuff? short step to burning her house with her in it. Self defense in my book.

[COLGATE4]

5. You're not really suggesting that shooting a 12 year old kid

for throwing a brick is an appropriate response?

[slackmaster]

9. As I wrote previously, bricks can kill. Once you attack with deadly force, you are in a gunfight.

A 12-year-old kid throwing bricks is just as dangerous as a 24-year-old waving a knife or a gun around. Deadly force constitutes a reasonable response to a deadly attack. If someone started pelting my house with bricks or rocks, I might very well respond with bullets regardless of the age of the person throwing missiles.

[treestar]

82. It has to be you, not the house

self defense and defense of property have different status. This lady should have called 911.

[slackmaster]

86. "...the boy threw the bricks and broke Matthews' windows"

In other words, bricks entered the house, which Ms. Matthews was inside.

They WERE throwing bricks AT HER.

[cstanleytech]

158. Exactly.

[Posteritatis]

171. Successfully, no less - the article says she was struck by one. (nt)

[bobbolink]

100. HAHAHAHAHAHA

You're funny.

[Bold Lib]

121. She did call 911. Cops came, kids ran, cops left, kids came back.

She was left with her last option, she used it.

[KurtNYC]

162. Hey !!! You read the article ! That's no fair.

We are supposed to just speculate wildly and draw broad conclusions which work in our favorite themes and issues but which disagree with even the limited specifics available by reading the article.

Quit ruining the fun!

[eShirl]

10. nobody is suggesting that

:eyes:

[RamboLiberal]

19. No shooting is not appropriate but

it also seems no one was stopping the harassment/damage & the cretin was setting fires as well. An arson in the night could've killed this woman not to mention what a brick could do.

Seems to me authorities and the kids parents failed her in this case.

[sinkingfeeling]

25. Police are calling it self-defense.

[Sherman A1]

37. I would agree

once a brick was thrown, it becomes self-defense.

I am sorry that the kid was shot and I am no fan of guns, but there is a point at which one must defend themselves.

[Bold Lib]

122. It was.

[Tuvok Obama]

31. It wasn't necessarily for throwing that one particular brick,

but to prevent him from throwing more, from vandalizing her property (including arson), and generally treating her and her home like his own personal playthings.

He was charged, and she was not because it was determined she acted in self-defense. Any time an attacker is hurling lethal objects through the windows of your home, self-defense is a very reasonable option.

[DainBramaged]

34. Did you READ the story?

A PATTERN of AGGRAVATED harassment, and the brick was a WEAPON. I am absolutely anti-gun. Yet if she had sliced him with a sword, pummelled him with a hammer, dropped a car on him, I would have also stood up and cheered her.

[hamsterjill]

135. Me, too!

There are times when a person has simply had ENOUGH. When that person has tried their hardest to use the proper channels to make harrassment stop, etc. and has received no relief.

I'm sorry that the woman was forced into a situation of having to use violence, but YES, she has a right to defend herself. If no one else was going to make the little punks stop, she had to do it herself.

[Lorien]

166. the thing that's really sad is that even this probably won't stop them. Their parents

and other family members think they did nothing wrong. :-(

[Lorien]

165. Yep. I'm anti-gun also, but when someone tries to burn your home down and

hits you with a brick then you have to let them have it with something. Calling 911 obviously wasn't helping matters, and she wasn't trying to shoot to kill, either.

[Dappleganger]

38. Well he certainly wasn't using the brick to build her a new sidewalk.

He'd thrown it through the window already. If the police didn't do anything before, just how is she supposed to respond--stand there and wait for them to throw it again like a good woman??

[Ganja Ninja]

53. a 12 year old is old enough to know better.

Maybe now he'll get a clue. The woman had a right to defend herself and her property and she doesn't owe him a fair fight. He put himself in that position. Tough luck for him the little rat bastard.

[slackmaster]

57. He brought a brick to a gunfight

Dumbass.

[Obamanaut]

58. "A" 12 year old, normally no. "That" 12 year old - he bought his ticket

with his behavior, then he took the ride - so for that one, ok.

[WolverineDG]

84. In self-defense, no

Sorry, I'm not going to waste time wringing my hands over a bully who tried to burn someone's house down, then attempted to cause bodily injury or death by throwing bricks at her.

dg

[northernlights]

101. a brick can kill. As can fire -- the punk burned her grill up last year and

repeatedly set her garbarge on fire. That could easily have spread to her house...and neighboring houses.

Yes, it was appropriate. The police and parents didn't protect her. She had a right -- and responsibility -- to protect herself. It was clear self-defense which is why *he* has been charged and *she* has not.

I'm with her on this one. I've repeatedly had my property trashed enough by my "adult" neighbors. 12 year olds can equally big and quite dangerous. It is unbelievably hard to be a single older woman in our society. Every thug scoping out the 'hood sees us as their first target...low hanging fruit.

A gang of them beat an older man to death last year in my rural "peaceful" Maine village. John "Two buckets" had mental problems. Every day he rode and walked his bike with 2 buckets strapped on for miles, in the most horrific weather, picking up bottles and cans for extra money and generally keeping the roads clean. He bothered nobody. Young thugs beat that poor man to death.

[superduperfarleft]

111. For throwing a brick *at someone*, absolutely. n/t

[TalkingDog]

137. Wow, do you HAVE a grandma?

If some little snot harassed her for months, set her house on fire...you'd just say what...? Oh granny, he's just a kid, when he hits that growth spurt in about 6 months and packs on 20 lbs and weighs more than you do....then you can shoot at him.


If she were my granny, I'd find the little fucker and beat his ass myself.

[tblue37]

140. I think she did what was necessary. nt

[Riftaxe]

142. Fortunately in this case, the justice

system disagrees with you. Personally, acts of violence against senior citizens doesn't fall within my belief system and I am glad the DA agrees with me and not you.

[PavePusher]

153. Do you think that a thrown brick is not deadly force? n/t

[roguevalley]

160. actually, you are forgetting that this kid was burning her stuff

and logically, since no one stopped the little ass he was moving toward burning her house. with her in it. arson is a crime and they did it multiple times. She was defending herself. Too bad all around but I am on her side. She's elderly and alone and being threatened with being burned alive by a runaway out of control fucker who just happens to be twelve. his parents deserve to be in jail.

[cstanleytech]

157. How odd, the last time I heard a brick with enough force upside the head could kill.

[joeybee12]

2. I'd like to know how it came to this...how the cops did nothing...how the kids

parents did nothing.

[slackmaster]

3. And of course, how did those kids get their hands...

...on bricks.

I think the answer on the cops will amount to "We can't do anything until we either witness a crime in progress, or someone can show visible harm that resulted from a crime."

In fact the cops HAVE done something now.

[joeybee12]

67. Sounds like it was going on for a long, long time...n/t

[HughBeaumont]

77. Google Tracey Thurman.

Her ex-husband stabbed her 13 times, then an officer arrives . . . the ex-husband, in full view of the officer, kicked her in the head twice. The officer did nothing until three other officers arrived . . . EVEN STILL, they did not arrest or even try to restrain Charles Thurman until he tried to approach his beaten and bloody wife again.

I rely on police to protect me about as far as I can throw them.

[lpbk2713]

6. An extreme response which I don't condone..

But the kid insisted on pushing her buttons.


"She called police and they came, but after officers left,
the boy came back. That was when Matthews responded with gunfire."


Someone should have told him to expect anything out of an elderly person.

[we can do it]

113. She Should Hvae Shot the Parents, too

[slackmaster]

115. There's still time for that

Please be patient.

[get the red out]

134. Agree

I am sick of this kind of behavior because parents won't live up to their responsibilities at all. No one forced them to have kids, they need to take responsibility or they should go to jail.

[spin]

147. I have to admit that was the first thing I thought of. (n/t)

[Bold Lib]

124. People are forced to do extreme things in extreme situations. This was not

a sudden thing or a first occurrence. The little hoodlum had targeted this woman for his terrorism and there was no other recourse this woman had. No one should have to live with that kind of fear and terrorism.

[Upton]

7. I see they also set her garage on fire..

it's too bad she had to resort to this, but the kid had it coming..

[femrap]

20. That kid is

a future ex-felon. Wonder how many animals he has killed. I hope this woman taught him a lesson. Sorry, but I have dealt with little 'terrorists' like this. He got what he deserved.

I hope he has to pay for all the damage.

[get the red out]

27. Good idea

If the families that produce children who terrorize are forced to pay up for what their innocent little darlings do consistently maybe people will take their responsibility back.

[knitter4democracy]

156. This. I agree with all of this.

I teach in an alternative high school. I deal with the older versions of that kid, and trust me, many confess to doing similar stuff at 12 and 13, some of which sounds very dangerous.

[alcibiades_mystery]

45. garBage...not garage

Still bad, but still...

[treestar]

83. We don't know who is guilty of that

The kid hasn't been convicted of it.

Why this kid wasn't charged before, if there is enough evidence, raises questions.

[slackmaster]

91. The law allows defensive use of deadly force even before someone who attacks you is arrested

Imagine that!

[merqz]

172. most likely because of his age

in my state, even given ample evidence to convict, if the kid is under a certain age (12 iirc) he is PRESUMED not capable of forming the mental intent to commit a crime. It's an overcomable presumption, but prosecutors are loathe to even try except in cases like murder or aggravated assault. 8 or younger and he cannot under any circumstances be charged. That's the first thing I'd think of if he hadn't been charged in the past.

[Pirate Smile]

8. Cops charged the kid and released the elderly lady.

I'm ok with that.

They said she was acting in self defense. The neighbors were on the lady's side and people called because they wanted to make sure she could make bail - but she wasn't charged.

Twelve year olds should have some fear of bullying adults. They should fear the repercussions of bullying kids too but the idea that a kid could do this to an adult and not get in huge trouble for it is bizarre.

[HughBeaumont]

87. And therein lies the problem.

Bullies have no fear of adults, so they'll continue. Name-calling isn't a crime.

What these kids did, however, IS a crime . . . and the officers did absolutely NOTHING. So what did they do? They RETURNED. "The po-po didn't do shit, so fuck it, I'm gonna continue being an asshole".

Can't just expect someone who's being put in harm's way to sit and do nothing.

[TreasonousBastard]

11. By tomorrow this will be spun as another "home invasion" successfully...

thwarted by a gun-toting granny.

[slackmaster]

12. And quite accurately so

:hi:

[Upton]

15. Isn't that what happened?

[stray cat]

33. Would we feel better about it if she were injured or killed by a brick

what if a group of white male adults were throwing bricks through windows of an abortion clinic with women inside?

[Dappleganger]

40. +10000

[Recursion]

103. How is that not what this is? NT

[Marr]

13. The boy's family says he's completely innocent, of course.

Which is probably half of the reason he's such a little monster. I knew a few boys like this growing up, and every one of them had a mother who thought he was just a slightly mischievous angel.

[Pirate Smile]

22. Exactly

[HughBeaumont]

93. NMS Syndrome.

"Not My Snowflake!"

Shits like these LITTERED the redneck/rich asshole hamlet I used to live in.

[liberalhistorian]

98. See, as the mother of a (now-grown) son, I just don't get

that and I never did. If mine ever even looked like he was going to even just call a stupid name, he got called on it and reigned in. I just wasn't gonna put up with any of that shit, period. I can't stand these "my little angel can do no wrong" parents, I just can't. Kids that age, especially boys, can, indeed, be little hellions unless they're controlled by a strong parental hand. This little terrorist's parents obviously didn't do their freaking job.

[northernlights]

105. well, the parents can say whatever they want about their precious little hellion

Nothing will take away the very real pain he felt getting shot. That, more than anything, will teach him a good lesson. Harrass and attack someone = get hurt.

[sonomak]

14. Good for her

Looks like she didn't have many options left.

Idiot kid asked for it.

[get the red out]

16. This behavior should not have happened

The Police should have already taken these boys into custody. Wild children should not be permitted to terrorize entire neighborhoods. This lady simply ran out of options because the police would not do their job. This happened because of poor parenting and poor law enforcement. That's where the blame lies.

[girl gone mad]

17. I've been on the receiving end of bricks thrown through windows.

It was a pretty frightening experience. I can understand why a defenseless elderly person would resort to gunfire after being subjected to that level of intimidation.

[safeinOhio]

18. the good news

"The woman, identified by neighbors as Margaret Matthews, was released from police custody without being charged, on the grounds that she acted in self defense, police said."

If she is ever charged, I'd hope she gets a jury of her peers.

[Enrique]

21. "I call him the little bad boy"

I like that quote. :-)

[tk2kewl]

23. I most definitely am not OK with the woman not being charged.

Being angry and frightened is not a legitimate excuse for shooting people. She should have called the police again.

[slackmaster]

26. You're half right

Being angry is never a legitimate excuse for shooting someone, but being legitimately frightened (of death or great bodily injury) sometimes is.

[tk2kewl]

32. the threat of harm needs to be imminent...

and that is something that should be proved. It is not proved simply by the fact that the boy has a history of being mean.

[slackmaster]

39. Bricks flying through one's window seems like an imminent threat to me

Maybe your skull is harder than mine.

[tk2kewl]

47. The brick was thrown and then the police were called and came and then

sometime later the kid was shot. The brick incident had long passed when the kid was shot. There is nothing in the story that indicates the boy was threatening the woman's life when he was shot.

[slackmaster]

50. "The brick"?!?

Have you even READ the story?

[RamboLiberal]

68. Try this

The Chicago Tribune reports a 68-year-old woman returned from the grocery store and noticed the windows in her house were broken and she saw two children running from her property.

After she went inside to call the police, the children returned. This time they allegedly shouted obscenities at the woman and threw rocks at her when she came out to her porch.

That's when the Trib says she pulled out a gun and shot the 12-year-old. He was hit in the arm and his injuries are not considered life threatening.

http://www.examiner.com/crime-in-chicago/report-elderly-woman-shoots-12-year-old-boy-during-rock-throwing-incident

I got whacked by a thrown rock in the head when I was a kid - drew blood and disoriented me. I'd call a rock a deadly weapon.

[tk2kewl]

71. That is more information than in the article from the OP

It does appear based on those facts that she may have been justified. However, I still think that the police should have charged her and let a court decide if it was a justified shooting.

[Selatius]

128. Let's play out the scenario. Police charge her. Find me a jury that will convict her.

If everybody on the jury were given this same information in all these news articles, exactly how likely do you think the jury would convict the elderly lady of attempted murder?

[merqz]

173. Prosecutors are ethically prohibited from charging ANYBODY if

they believe they cannot prove the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. They shouldn't (according to ethical codes) just throw a hail Mary pass in the air and charge somebody to let the court "sort it out". No Jeapardy has attached in this case, thus they could charge if and when there was sufficient evidence that the woman committed a CRIME. They do not have such evidence, thus they decided not to charge her.

[hlthe2b]

43. It was investigated, apparently...

and the police (presumedly with the DA) deemed it self-defense. I can only assume that they did so based on their discovered facts that signaled immediate harm and thus self-defense. If so, then I am in total agreement.

[tk2kewl]

73. that is information not in the article

[WolverineDG]

95. did you miss the part where he was throwing bricks at her?

:wtf:

How "imminent" does it need to be for you? A brick hitting her in the head & killing her? Sorry, but the law says you don't have to wait until someone kills you to defend yourself.

dg

[get the red out]

29. Yes

She would be much better off being burned up in her house the next time the children set fire to her trash. So much better for society to have this nasty granny out of the way of these precious darlings. :sarcasm:

[tk2kewl]

36. Why bother with police or courts at all then.

Pass out the pistols.

[get the red out]

41. She bothered with the police a lot,

They just didn't want to be bothered with doing their jobs.

[tk2kewl]

55. As far as i can tell from the article she called them once.

How do you figure she called them more than the one time mentioned in the article.

[RamboLiberal]

75. With all the damage he's & his litle gang have been doing

I bet the cops have been called repeatedly not just by her but by other neighbors. If you noticed the neighbors are backing her and have also been harassed to some extent.

And sad thing today with all the budget cutbacks many police depts don't even respond to these "petty crimes" any more by coming to the house. Serious crimes only!

[get the red out]

132. How do you figure

that it is ok for a law abiding citizen to have her TRASH SET ON FIRE and BRICKS THROWN THROUGH HER WINDOWS but not ok for her to try to protect herself when the police let the guilty parties off the hook so that they can come right back and return to their criminal behavior? Because they had the misfortune to pick someone to harm who was willing to defend herself they are suddenly the victims??? Oh poor babies, they shouldn't be threatened when they try to set fire to things or throw bricks at old ladies, poor poor babies, we need to make sure they are taken care of properly. All these stupid old people can go to hell because we need to take care of these innocents.

[slackmaster]

42. Did you read the story?

The police have gotten involved, and the matter is going to be dealt with in the courts.

What the police and courts CAN'T always do, is protect you from harm before it happens.

[tk2kewl]

49. I read it thoroughly

and there is nothing in the story that indicates that at the time she shot the boy she was in danger of being harmed. Only that she had previously been in danger.

[slackmaster]

56. Kids threw bricks. Woman called cops. Cops came and left. Kids came back.

I think I'd feel threatened under those circumstances. If it was me, I'd probably confront the little bastards with my Loisville Slugger, but I'm not an elderly woman living alone.

I support your right to decide for yourself when you feel threatened enough to do something about it. I expect you to extend the same courtesy to others.

[tk2kewl]

61. Probably not the case here, but...

Suppose the kid actually had responsible parents and he had been sent there to apologize.

And feeling threatened is not the same as being threatened. I am not suggesting that she belongs in jail, but that not charging her and fully investigating the facts is not how it is supposed to work.

[slackmaster]

64. At 11:00 PM? My parents always made me write letters of apology and mail them.

And feeling threatened is not the same as being threatened.

I see there is much about the legalities of defensive use of deadly force that you don't understand.

Take a class some time. Firearm, edged weapon, any empty-hand discipline, exotic martial arts weapons. The lessons are the same.

[Riftaxe]

146. responsible parents don't tell their children

to apologize for breaking windows by throwing rocks at an elderly woman.

[PavePusher]

154. Self-defense is not vigilantism.

Perhaps you need to check the definitions of those words...

[Obamanaut]

60. Called the police again? To what end - the miscreant's behavior

has been ongoing for awhile.

[tk2kewl]

65. And shooting the kid is right answer?

I refuse to accept that without proof that she was in fact in danger of being physically harmed. There is no evidence that at the time she was shot she was in danger of being harmed. No doubt she was afraid she would be harmed but that is not the same thing.

[Obamanaut]

69. So it would seem. The kid has been charged, the woman has not. Must

have been a "good shoot" (I stole that from the cop shows on teevee.)

[slackmaster]

78. How can you tell that someone is "in fact" in danger of being physically harmed?

That can only be established as fact, after the harm has already happened.

[PavePusher]

155. What proof do you require?

The law does not require that ones blood be shed before beleif of imminent danger is prooved.

Perhaps in the future you would be willing to volunteer to provide security for this lady? Then she would not be forced to make such decisions....

[treestar]

90. You still have to call them again.

You can't shoot a kid because you deem him a miscreant. They ought to at least charge her and let the jury decide.

[slackmaster]

96. She shot the boy because she felt he presented an imminent threat of injury or death

Why is this so hard for you to understand?

They ought to at least charge her and let the jury decide.

Charge her with what?

[we can do it]

116. Yes Dear So the Cops Could Again DO NOTHING

Being attacked and threatened is. I am angry if someone tears up my flower garden and would not think of resulting to violence - but throw bricks on me and burn my stuff, possibly killing me in a house fire - THAT derevs retalliation.

[stray cat]

28. Throwing bricks is assault with a deadly weapon if she was in the house

then it could be seriously argued it was self defense as I'm sure she felt threatened. If someone assaults you with a deadly weapon while you are in your house - responding in kind is justified. A 12 year old boy can kill anyone particularly an elderly female

[dgibby]

46. And I'd be willing to bet this kid will either burn her out

or kill her before it's over, especially if he's a sociopath. This is not going to end well, I fear.

[lpbk2713]

51. The stress could very well do her in.

And the little miscreant would laugh his ass off I'm sure.

[sonomak]

99. His goal was to get her extra crispy

He might try again after a very short stay in juvenile detention.

[Javaman]

35. Ohhhh Mr. Wilsonnnnnn!

BLAM!!

[slackmaster]

44. OK Javaman, you got me on that one

:rofl:

[Mad_Dem_X]

48. She must have been at her wit's end.

I'm not a fan of guns, by any means, but I guess she felt she hadn't any other choice. The kid must have been a real spawn of Satan.

[raccoon]

52. The boy's grandmother said:

He and his friend were walking down the street, and they saw a window broken at a woman's house, and as they passed by, they said she came out shooting," said the boy's grandmother, Donna Virges.

Yeah, right. :sarcasm:

[lpbk2713]

66. She left out part of it.

"He had just left the abandoned pet shelter where he did
volunteer work and he was on his way to choir practice."


Give me a fuggen break lady. :rofl:

[H2O Man]

54. Yikes!

I try to see the good in life. At least the potential for good. In that context, I hope the kid learned a lesson.

[hedgehog]

59. "he shooting happened said at about 11 p.m. Tuesday"

http://wbbm.cbslocal.com/2010/09/28/12-year-old-shot-by-angry-elderly-neighbor/


Kid must have been running out to the store to pick up some notebook paper so he could finish his homework.....

[gratuitous]

63. Good thing we still have money for guns

But we can't spend an extra dime to fashion a more civilized society, because that would just be wasteful. Now a 12-year-old boy has a neat-o gunshot wound he can show off to his pals for the rest of his life - which he's probably more than halfway through already - and an 87-year-old woman can spend the rest of her days wondering how it all came to this.

And the Greek chorus will sing its usual refrain, and we'll all go on from here. Cue up the argument over continuing tax cuts for the wealthy. We need a diversion; something totally unrelated to this story.

[L0oniX]

70. ''Before, they tried to burn her house down." That is a deadly threat!

[snooper2]

72. that's one way to teach him a lesson

bet he calms his ass down a little after getting popped by an old lady :P

[L0oniX]

74. We have an asshole kid like that here who kills cats, dogs and ducks.

The kid has thrown rocks at homes as well. The cops are also not doing jack shit about it. Asshole cops always wait until someone gets hurt before they do something. They are reactive, not pro active.

[bighart]

80. And what about the kids parent(s)?

[L0oniX]

97. My neighbor who's dog was stoned by the kid told me the kid has foster parents

Our cat was assaulted as well. The sheriff has been contacted and nothing is happening.

[mitchum]

120. That little cretin needs to disappear

[Selatius]

129. No, he probably belongs in a mental health facility.

If the boy gets his jollies torturing and mutilating neighborhood pets, he may grow up becoming a serial killer. More than a few convicted serial killers had a background of torturing animals and killing them in their youth before moving on to humans.

[dana_b]

136. that's right - socio paths start out like that

they can't relate to the pain that another being feels and so it's entertaining to them. this kid needs help NOW!

[mitchum]

141. But there is no "cure" for sociopaths...hence my original suggestion

[oneshooter]

144. Only the .38 caliber one. n/t

[left coaster]

76. Harassment, vandalism, starting fires.. all anti-social behavior..

Serial killers in the making, me thinks.. I don't condone violence, as a rule, but I fear that the violence directed at this old woman would have escalated.. at least now those little monsters are in the system where they can be watched more closely.

[mitchum]

145. Sometimes that is the only preventive for that inevitable recidivism

[treestar]

79. How about calling the police, which is what happens in civilized society?

Unless he was about to kill her, she has no legal right to shoot him.

[slackmaster]

81. Please READ the article! She DID call the police. The police came.

That's all I'm going to spoon-feed you.

[QC]

85. Read the article, hell, just glancing at the thread header

would reveal that this is not an isolated incident.

Hardly anyone even bothers to do that anymore.

[treestar]

88. Then call them again.

You don't get to shoot anyone unless there is an imminent threat of death or seriously bodily harm. Doesn't matter what the person did in the past.

Further, we don't really know if this kid is guilty of the past crimes anyway. Just because this lady says so is not enough for society to allow her to shoot kids whenever she deems necessary.

[slackmaster]

92. She DID call them again

After she shot the punk.

The kids threw bricks INTO her house, went away after the cops were called, then CAME BACK.

That sounds to me like an imminent threat.

I wasn't there, so it's not my call, but that was the shooter's call; and evidently the police AGREE with her.

[northernlights]

117. bricks are deadly. fire is deadly. there was an imminent threat

she had a right and responsibility to protect herself.

Unlike those who love victims so much that they want everybody turned into a victim. The *poor widdle boy* had a tough life. The *poor old lady* couldn't defend herself.

Bullfuckingshit. Sorry that story line doesn't fit the fantasies of those who apparently haven't been the targets of viscious thugs and bullies.She had a right and responsibility to protect herself when the police proved unable or unwilling to. The little bully-boy has finally and at long last had at least one lesson that just may save his life someday, not to mention the lives of his potential targets. eos. :eyes:

[dogday]

104. Call the police, they might show up in four hours if you are lucky.

Some guy broke into our car one night and sat in the passengers seat and would not come out. We called the police first thing and waited and waited and waited. Finally my husband and his friend and our bat went outside and ran him off. Those were men that did that, not some poor old woman. Four hours later the police showed up and did not even write up a report.

That poor old woman had been harassed over and over. Had her property set on fire, had bricks thrown at her window and was even threatened with the burning down of her home. Now if the cops acted anything like they did with my situation, then I will bet dollars to donuts that is what happened with this poor woman.

[sonomak]

89. Asshole kid is going to be another Ken McElroy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_McElroy

[frogmarch]

94. He got what was coming to him.

Too bad his victim, the elderly lady, will probably be the one who pays.

I hate bullies, regardless of age.

[Moostache]

102. Sharon Angle's 2nd Amendment remedies in action?

I am sorry, but advocating for the shooting of misguided youth?
Really?
REALLY?

So I guess that booby-trapping my yard with land mines would be acceptable then?
It IS private property after all...

How about tiger traps on my driveway?
Hey, there was no way that someone would be injured unless they were trespassing...

Better still, if I put up a sign that says "beware of dog"; and beat and starve the poor animal into a feral stage of rage and aggression, then I guess its OK if someone gets mauled or acquires rabies from being bitten by the animal?

OF COURSE I know those are ridiculous statements; but really, any less ridiculous than saying, "well, the kid had it coming. She did have previous incidents with this bad boy."?

If the police and parents are not listening, then TRY HARDER TO REACH SOMEONE WHO WILL LISTEN DAMMIT! Make the press do their job. Make the police listen or tell you "no" on a daily basis. Bring public pressure to bear on local businesses and leaders to replace the police and politicians that will not act to maintain the peace and security of their constituency.

We cannot champion a "wild west" mentality of armed conflict between citizens as EVER being acceptable if we wish to maintain a civil society. But then again, maybe that is no longer the ultimate aim for many people of ALL political stripes.

[northernlights]

106. so you're saying we have no right to self-defense?

Are you effing kidding me?!?

The kid assaulted her repeatedly with a deadly weapon. The police did nothing. Kid returned. The

The kid had already burned up her barbecue grill, repeatedly set her garbage on fire...

The threat was imminent...and you think it's *her* responsibility to spend the rest of her life trying to get an authority do so something? bull-fucking-shit.

[slackmaster]

107. Actually, it's basic Castle Doctrine law in action

Look it up.

So I guess that booby-trapping my yard with land mines would be acceptable then?

Look up "public nuisance" while you're at it.

Hey, there was no way that someone would be injured unless they were trespassing...

Throwing bricks onto someone's property constitutes trespassing, just as would shooting bullets at someone's house.

If the police and parents are not listening, then TRY HARDER TO REACH SOMEONE WHO WILL LISTEN DAMMIT!

Few things get peoples' attention as effectively as gunfire. ;-) But seriously, it's unfortunate that there's never a skilled mediator like you around when people need them most.

We cannot champion a "wild west" mentality of armed conflict between citizens as EVER being acceptable if we wish to maintain a civil society. But then again, maybe that is no longer the ultimate aim for many people of ALL political stripes.

I think writers who abuse hyperbole should be taken out and shot.

[kelly1mm]

151. great post! I especially like this line:

"I think writers who abuse hyperbole should be taken out and shot."

Took a split second, but then I laughed out loud (for real)

Made my night, thanks!

[superduperfarleft]

112. Your list full of high-minded "should haves" is great and all,

but they don't work all that well at the exact moment when some punk kid is attacking you.

[sonomak]

114. Not many poor elderly women can get the time of day from city hall

But you're Mr Big Shot living in an upscale area: Problem solved with a phone call.

This poor woman's life was threatened - it was only a matter of time before the cretin burned her to death.

[X_Digger]

138. 'misguided youth'?!?? wtf are YOU smoking? n/t

[John Kerry VonErich]

108. Time to brush up at the range

She needs to work on her aim

[superduperfarleft]

110. Heh, I was about to post the same thing.

Too bad she didn't kill the little punk.

[Selatius]

133. Nah, she did the right thing. The boy won't mess with her ever again after being shot.

Sometimes fear is enough to scare away a tyrant. It's only when the boy comes back after getting out of juvenile that she may want to contemplate self-defense with a weapon, but this should come in the absence of adequate remedy from the local authorities.

[John Kerry VonErich]

139. Wanna bet?

nt

[spin]

148. There is a good chance he will return in the future ...

if she is smart she will get a 12 gauge shotgun, load it with 00 buck and wait until he actually enters her house to attack her.

The results will be messy but final.

[John Kerry VonErich]

169. And stressfully adding

the kid WILL BE packing.

[Euromutt]

174. The odds are better than for alternative courses of action

The hypothetical scenario in which the kid comes looking for payback a few years down the line has to be weighed against the likelihood of his being emboldened by the reluctance of the criminal justice system to arrest, charge and punish him to escalate his crimes. That is, the scenario in which the kid comes looking for payback with a gun six years from now has to weighed against the possibility of him killing someone with a thrown brick six weeks from now if he hadn't been shot and charged.

For the sake of the argument, let's credit this kid with a modicum of intelligence. He knows the Widow Twankey has shown herself willing and able to put a bullet in him once already without so much as being charged. He can probably figure out that henceforth, if he so much as sets foot on her front lawn, she can empty an entire mag into him, claim self-defense, and the fact that she was ruled to have been acting in self-defense last time she shot him will only work in her favor. Basically, she's the one person in America who won't hesitate to shoot him, because she's done it before, and she has every reason to do it again. Which makes her the last person in America he should be going after.

Of course, he might not be that smart, but again, if he hadn't been shot and arrested, he probably would have escalated his rock-throwing and fire-setting activities until he killed someone, and that death would have come sooner than any payback killing.

[mitchum]

109. Good for her (there may be no cure for sociopaths, but there are certainly necessary treatments)

[Renew Deal]

118. Where's Fire_Medic_Dave when you need him?

:evilgrin:

[TheCowsCameHome]

119. RRRRR. Clang! Clang! Clang!

Shhhh. I think I hear him coming. In more ways than one.

:rofl:

[supernova]

123. LOL!

:rofl:

Honestly, I can't blame the poor woman. She was at her wits' end, sounds like.

[closeupready]

127. TS'ed.

:)

[d_b]

161. What a shitty fuckin turd of a gimmick

Sorry to say I missed it.

[onehandle]

130. .

[oneshooter]

175. Enjoying his retirement . n/t

[Little Star]

125. If the kid had shot a bullet through the window instead of

a brick would people think that was ok???

A brick can kill you as sure as a bullet can.

The woman had no choice but to put an end to this dangerous behavior by the 12 year old.

The cops did not do their jobs and the parents think their kid is just a little darling.

I say if someone had to get hurt or killed, in this case, it should be the kid not the woman!

[closeupready]

126. Neither the police nor the parents did their jobs; 'no justice, no peace' was

the rallying cry during the Rodney King trial, but the same idea applies here; when authorities have the power to fix a civil problem and fail to do it, they leave citizens with no options other than physical restraint, which is what she did.

[onehandle]

131. .

.

[Glassunion]

143. Exactly

.

[oneshooter]

150. Whats wrong, at a loss for words?

[proteus_lives]

152. If only it was permanent.

[whathehell]

167. I do NOT blame her, actually...It's a sad statement on the lack of parental and societal

responsibility prevalent today, but what other choice did she have?

Me thinks this will be a "teachable moment" for this kid...Stop bullying those "weaker" than you..They just might be packing!

[Posteritatis]

170. This was a drawn-out attempted suicide. (nt)