Teen pulling prank killed by neighbor

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

[gatex]

"She knew Louisiana law regarding folks on your porch is decidedly UNFRIENDLY! We can only imagine what she did to him after he screwed it all up and caused her public embarrassment."

You are mis-representing the incidend.

The Japanese student had gone to the front door and then had gone around to a side door, scaring the wife. She screamed and yelled for her husband. he came and the student rapidily approached him, wildly waving his arms. When he did not stop he was shot and the grand jury no-billed.

It was in the paper that it was known to the students friends that he would wildly wave his arms around people.

[On the Road to Serfdom]

The exchange student, of course, had not attacked anyone. He thought he was at the right house, nothing more than that.

Much more than that. He did not obey the order to "FREEZE!" and continued to charge toward than man pointing a gun at him. I remember because a big deal was made of him not understanding what "freeze" means because he was from Japan. Of couse that is not the homeowner's fault.

[Freedom2specul8]

...that is totally a liberally anti-gun slant isn't it! I don't mean to sound naive..I know there are numerous factors that are left out, either by accident, purposely, or negligently and the reporter used his/her own perception/filters while writing it. (lest we forget, the homeowner shouldn't say 'anything' without an attorney present)

[durham62]

I just got back from the memorial service and candle light vigil that took place for Mark. I went with a group of about 60 people to Mr. Levin's house, to where Mark fell (there was still blood on the sidewalk and grass), and to Mark's house. The distance from Levin's front door to where Mark fell was a good 150 yards. Also, Levin's doorway is a narrow walkway with two walls on both sides of the door. For Mark to have been shot Levin would have had to have a clear straight-away shot or would have had to step through his walkway to aim and shoot Mark as he was running away. Also, if the shot had been close-range I find it hard to believe Mark would not have been knocked down and still be able to get up. Although you people will probably find some way to tag this on Mark or convince yourselves that the homeowner was only protecting himself. Also, if any of you posters out there are parents with teens I don't care how responsible you think your kid is they make plenty of bad decisions some with no repurcussions and some with much bigger (in Mark's case death). And don't think that these things happen to only bad kids. Mark and his friends were not drinking, smoking, or doing any drugs, and trust me I know that for a fact. Mark was high on life enjoying his new freedom as a 16 year old, and he made a bad decision (even though it was never meant to hurt or harm anyone). Yes I know you will probably find something in that sentence to exploit also. All I can say is that the next time you see a kid doing something mischevious or maybe in your mind a "heinous crime" remember they are just kids who are living life, many with problems you and me can hardly imagine. For the rest of my life and the rest of the lives of my classmates we will always be rethinking our decisions so that we never intentionally put our friends and family through the distress of losing a loved one like Mark.

[Freedom2specul8]

Yeah..what does a person do if there is no window or peephole? And what did the kid do when the door was opened. IS there only one witness? The homeowner?

[Freedom2specul8]

Are you insinuating that the homeowner chased him and shot him in the back?

[durham62]

I don't know all I am saying is that this walkway was so narrow that Drewes would have had to run straight ahead for the homeowner to have shot him, or Drewes was still at the door. If Mark were at the door when he was shot wouldn't he have been knocked down or at least stunned, and wouldn't have Levin looked out to see what had happened. It all seems very suspicious from what I saw.

[muawiyah]

Waving your arms about is not, in almost anyplace but Louisiana, a death penalty offense.

Last thing I saw on this particular issue the Louisiana state legislature refused to change the law.

Hey, what can I say about these guys ~ they've voted in nutcase after nutcase after criminal after criminal for years ~ why should their law be any different?

[Freedom2specul8]

"Although you people will probably find some way to tag this on Mark or convince yourselves that the homeowner was only protecting himself."

What makes you think that EVERYONE will pin this on MARK. It sounds to me you're here to start trouble..or possibly you've been involved in the million mom march?

[Frunabulax]

I remember an incident when I was doing a sales presentation and I was nervous. I went back to my car to get some more materials and accidentally walked into the wrong house. Does that give someone the right to shoot me? I don't think so. There has to be some evidence of intent to harm the homeowner.

No, the homeowner only has to demonstrate that you were in his house and that he reasonably believed that he was in danger. It is usually considered reasonable to act in self defense if a stranger is in your house without your consent. Intentions, good or bad, have nothing to do with it.

[stands2reason]

Thank you for your idealism definition in your profile.

Story of my life....see, I was a young idiot liberal once upon a time... :-)

[durham62]

Have you read all the posts so far because I have. There are a lot of ignorant people who do not know anything close to the truth of what happened yet are so ready to crucify teenagers in general for "malicious mischief", and praise this homeowner for using common sense in bringing a gun to the door.

[stands2reason]

In this day and age, it's madness to play pranks on strangers.

You ever see the movie "Joyride"?

[gatex]

"... why should their law be any different?...."

Louisiana law is definitly different.

Louisiana law is based on the French Napoleonic Code -- NOT English common law like the rest of the states.

[muawiyah]

Sounds like the guy is a better witness to the site of the killng than anyone else so far.

My supposition was that the homeowner was waiting for the kid to show up, ring his bell, and run, and that he had his gun ready to shoot the kid down in the front yard.

Your comment about our witness being a "troublemaker" had best be in jest else you might find yourself pulling a little time in Florida for having tried to intimidate someone who might be called in by the Prosecutor as a witness.

Tampering with witnesses is a very serious crime.

[not_apathetic_anymore]

Yeah, I just wonder if it was some scenario like that.

The question of why would the homeowner open the door bugs me. I really would be interested to know if there was a peep hole.

I'd been assuming he could look out first, and then, if he saw an adult size stranger that concerned him,why would he open the door?

With no peep hole or window then the scenario of opening the door, seeing someone there and being surprised as the kid is running away (potentially explaining a shot in the back) makes more sense to me.

Guess we'll have to wait for the investigation to tell us.

[Freedom2specul8]

There is NOTHING wrong with carrying a gun to the door in the middle of the night. If you are who you say you are...I suspect the drama and your emotions and age have clouded your opinions with regard to people defending their person and property.

I think most people recognize that there are facts missing, that the neighbor should NOT have opened the door... etc

[southland]

I had anincident where convicted escaped murderers knocked on my door at about 8:30PM in November years ago.. I did did go outside but wished I had carried my .357 ... I was lucky I bluffed two of them them to think I did have a gun...

Now if the door bell rings I get my gun and wait for glass to break.. It really spookes me for glass to break in the middle of the night.....

I have empathy for the homeowner...

[durham62]

So you know there is a window next to Levin's front door.

[gatex]

"There are a lot of ignorant people who do not know anything close to the truth of what happened ...."

Actually, neither do you.