Teen pulling prank killed by neighbor

The Palm Beach Post ^ | Sunday, October 26 | Sarah Eisenhauer and Cynthia Kopkowski

[durham62]

To whom it may concern:
I am a sophmore at Pope John Paul II high school and was a friend of Mark Drewes. Mark was by no means a bad kid or a delinquent. He was a kind, funny, amiable kid who never did wrong by anyone. None of you should be making such brash assumptions that he was up to no good or he was acting in a malicous way. Mark never intended to harm or damage the man who shot him in any way. He was just an innocent kid who was celebrating his 16th birthday with friends doing what kids do. I am good friends with the kid who was with Mark at the time and went to see him yesterday. He is so distraught and upset that he can hardly stand up and talk. He did manage to tell me though that they never meant any harm and that this was never supposed to happen. Also, for you information the game they were playing is called ding-dong-ditch. Its a popular game among teens where someone goes up to the door and knocks or rings the doorbell and when the door is opening runs away. That would explain how the bullet got into Mark's back. The man who shot Mark was completely in the wrong and should be prosecuted to the fullest. I just want everyone out there to know that at Pope everyone who knew Mark liked and loved him and will miss him dearly, and if you really believe he did something wrong and it was his fault he's dead I hope you see some of the footage of our homecoming dance where kids were hysterical to the brink of nearly passing out. I was Mark's friend and I hope that for his sake, his poor mother and father, his extended family, and friends that this man who killed him in cold blood is put away for many years.

[Sci Fi Guy]

I don't think this guy should have fired his gun at a door knocker. What say you?

No kidding, This guy's got to do some jailtime. I mean what the #$^$ was he thinking? If he was fearful, why open the door in the first place?

If the kid tried to force his way into the house, then yes it would be justified. But you cannot shoot someone just because they knock on your door late at night.

[durham62]

Also, i forgot to mention that saying Mark was 6'2" 210lbs is a gross exaggeration. He was close to 6'0" and maybe 190 at most.

[Tijeras_Slim]

if someone even gets to my front door then things are real wrong from the gitgo.

At the very least they'll have dog poop all over their shoes with that collection of pups! :)

[Flyer]

None of you should be making such brash assumptions that he was up to no good or he was acting in a malicous way.

I'm sorry you lost your friend, but he was "up to no good".

[Wormwood]

Also, for you information the game they were playing is called ding-dong-ditch. Its a popular game among teens...

Perhaps you should find another hobby.

[durham62]

No he wasn't he was not trying to break into anyone's house, he was not destroying property, and was not holding a weapon of any kind. Please tell me how running to a doorbell ringing it and running away is up to no good. It's innocnent kids' fun.

[durham62]

Perhaps adults should ask questions first and fire their guns later.

[Wormwood]

and if you really believe he did something wrong and it was his fault he's dead I hope you see some of the footage of our homecoming dance where kids were hysterical to the brink of nearly passing out.

Point of fact: sometimes popular and well-liked people do stupid, thoughtless things.

He was acting like a dumb punk, no matter how much y'all liked him.

Did he deserve to get shot? I suppose not. But sometimes when you invite trouble, you get it.

[m18436572]

He was expecting a burgler, hence the gun. Unless there was a premeditated motivation to do so, say... it was the fifth time he had been awakened that night and now he was going to do something about it. No excuse there.

Mabey there is some other reason to answer the door with a gun in your hand?

[Squantos]

Actually they are all toliet trained .......but they leave the seat up and the Girl Friday gets pissed. I told her she's not as pissed as those who don't like finding the seat .....down.

Stay Safe Slim........:o)

[Flyer]

Please tell me how running to a doorbell ringing it and running away is up to no good

Disturbing folks in the middle of the night, and in many cases, frightening them, is not harmless fun to those on the receiving end.

[gitmo]

Welcome to FreeRepublic. Sorry you came here under such circumstances.

[Wormwood]

Perhaps adults should ask questions first and fire their guns later.

Of course. There's no denying that the homeowner overreacted when the idiot 'prankster' woke him up trespassing in the middle of the night.

No denying that at all.

[ladyinred]

What a terrible story. Kids in my neighborhood ring the doorbell and run every once in a while, and although aggravating, we just go back to bed. If we felt threatened by someone outside our home, we would call the police. Certainly shooting this boy was not something that the man should have done. He should be arrested soon, I would think.

[Lijahsbubbe]

This is so sad. I'm afraid many adults here have forgotten the things they have done while juveniles.

I think some of us here remember growing up in better times, and think we were more innocent and childish than kids today. We see the change in times from when we were teenagers and maybe some adults think that you should too, and not do the things some adults did when they were kids and crime was not rampant.

Alot of adults are very fearful, because they have lived in safer times.

I am sad for you and other kids, that cannot grow up in the world that we did, and I am so sorry for the loss of your friend.

[Wormwood]

If we felt threatened by someone outside our home, we would call the police.

Good idea. Perhaps the police can notify your next of kin.

[not_apathetic_anymore]

I'm also sorry you lost your friend, and if the article is accurate I think the shooter was a little quick on the draw, and deserves some penalty. Fullest of the law or not I guess others will decide.

Ringing someone's doorbell after bedtime is 'up to no good.' Given it's a mischeivious 'no good' rather than criminal 'no-good'. But nonetheless the point was to harass people. And in this day and age of home invasion robberies, people ARE scared, and testing those limits is dangerous. Kind of like it isn't wise anymore to flip someone off while driving.

I'd like to think that in that situation I would not have answered the door, but I don't know. I wasn't there. And 6'0" and 190 is plenty intimidating to some of us smaller folk. In fact...I dread halloween. The little kids are cute. But then the teens come out, with masks completely covering their faces, and they're in groups. I hate to answer the door. But if I don't I get 'tricks'.

My condolences to both families, poor decisions on the parts of both have tragically changed many lives. Lets hope we all learn how to modify our behavior so that it doesn't happen again.

[_Jim]

for you[r] information the game they were playing is called ding-dong-ditch. Its a popular game among teens where someone goes up to the door and knocks or rings the doorbell and when the door is opening runs away.

Where do you stand, generally, after the doorbell is rung and you're waiting for the resident to 'come to the door'?

Do you stand in the shadows off to the side?

Are you in a crowched or semi-crowched posture?

Do you carry flashlights of other objectrs in your hands?

[GETMAIN]

If the kid was able to run to a neighbor's yard after being shot, this was no high-powered gun.

Actually, that's not an accurate assumption. Real-life shootings are not necessarily like what is portrayed on TV, where the person who's shot is dropped in their tracks. The only thing that will "guarantee" an immediate cessation of movement would be a shot that destroys part of the spinal column or shatters the pelvis. This is true for .22 caliber up to .50 bmg.