The idea of charging this kid as an adult is just insane. He’s ELEVEN, for God’s sake (and in the mugshot he looks like he’s about 7). He can’t begin to understand or control his own feelings towards his father’s very pregnant live-in girlfriend, who has presumably replaced his mother. And then he hops on the school bus like nothing is wrong, accompanied by the dead woman’s 7 year old daughter, who apparently didn’t see any reason to raise an alarm about a gunshot that just went off inside the house. And from the dead woman’s brother-in-law: “’He actually told my son that he wanted to do that to her,’ Houk’s brother-in-law, Jason Kraner, said Saturday. ‘There was an issue with jealousy.’” So there was advance warning that this little boy was harboring some serious anger, but he was still left alone at the house with some younger children, the object of his anger, and a loaded gun??? They’ve got the wrong person in jail here.
Clearly, this child is insane. Eleven year old children don't go around murdering people if they are sane. Additionally, this child must have exhibited some symptoms of mental illness prior to this. It's begs the question, why weren't they caught before this tragedy?
As much as people don't like to admit, sometime people with debilitating psychological problems do commit unspeakable, violent crimes. They need to be treated, especially when they're children. If they are "untreatable", then they need to be medicated and placed in a secure facility, to protect themselves and the public. But, they don't need to be placed in prison with life-long, violent offenders.
While I agree this child should not be housed with adult prisoners in a regular prison, he definitely needs to be incarcerated.