Posted on 12/25/2013 12:58:55 PM PST by Uncle Chip
The Colorado man who police say shot and killed his 14-year-old stepdaughter after allegedly mistaking her for a burglar has been identified as a highly decorated Army officer.
According to information released to MailOnline Tuesday afternoon by officials at Fort Carson, Colorado, 2nd Lt Daniel Meade has been named in a fatal incident involving his daughter, Kiana O’Neil.
The victim, of Colorado Springs, was gunned down after a burglary was reported at her family's home.
Police spokesman Larry Herbert said the girl's stepfather fired the shot, but said it was unclear if he had mistaken the teen for a burglar.
Mr Meade, 29, is listed as an active-duty health service officer assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson.....
Herbert said Kiana was entering her home early Monday morning at the time that she was shot.
Police say the girl was shot just before 6am ...
According to a recording of a police dispatch, Kiana may have been trying to sneak into the house through a basement window after a night out when she was shot.
'I heard three bangs,' neighbor Jani Harvey told the station KTRK....
Police say Kiana was struck in the stomach and chest, and was taken to a local hospital in critical condition....
Her stepfather hasn't been arrested and it will be up to prosecutors to decide whether charges should be filed.
Colorado's 'Make My Day' law allows residents to defend themselves against intruders.
According to highcaliberdefense.com, the 'Make My Day' law permits homeowners to fire at intruders only if they are certain the intruder will commit a crime other than trespassing. They are permitted to fire if the intruder plans to use physical force, no matter how slight.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Well, shooting his wife’s daughter dead is probably going to play hob with the marriage.
(A sad story. And I really hate the term, “Make my Day” law. As if any rational person takes pleasure in killing another person.)
If I were the police or the Army Ranger biological father, I would be asking some tough questions of the “hero”.
It’s 6:00 AM — who burgles a house at that time in the morning?
When you locked up the house the night before, did you know that your stepdaughter was not yet home?
Did you deliberately lock her out??
Why didn’t she have a key to the house???
Have you ever known her to enter the house through that basement window before??
Have you and her mother been having trouble with her, as in disputes over staying out past curfew??
How do you win a Bronze Star? I guess the writer won the jackpot when he got the job.
***
Well, it appears that it took two idiots to write this article, and they probably both think the Bronze Star is similar to the Bronze Medal in the Olympics.
Here’s another gem they put together:
...Kiana may have been trying to sneak into the house through a basement window after a night out when she was shot.
Meade, 29, ...”
Over the course of his decade-long military career, Meade has racked up more than a dozen various awards and commendations, including a Bronze Star, National Defense Service Medal and Global War of Terrorism Service Medal.
According to his military record, Mr Meade is also an Iraq War veteran.
Yep. You have to identify your target and determine intent.
There are many questions to ask about this story.
But, it’s possible that the stepdaughter snuck out of the house after the mother and stepfather went to sleep, in which case they wouldn’t have known that she’d gone out.
That doesn’t excuse the stepfather, of course. I’m just trying to figure out what happened here, too.
I almost did the same thing myself.
Shortly after I married my wife she woke me and told me she heard someone downstairs. .
There should have been no one else home because both step kids had gone to spend the night with friends.
I grabbed my Colt 1911 and went down stairs. The light in the stepson’s room was on. I pulled back the hammer on my Colt and spoke in a loud firm voice “Is that you Eric?”
He stepped out of his room and turned a whiter shade of pale as he stared down the barrel of a loaded firearm and a stern faced stepfather.
I really didn’t think it would be Eric because it was after midnight and the dead of winter. He had walked home 3 miles in about 15 degree temperatures in a light coat. I thought he was smarter than that. But since then he has proved me wrong again and again.
Maybe she was at home?
I know it's hard to believe, especially here on Free Republic where we all have perfect children, but sometimes teenage girls do crazy things like put on their jammies, say "goodnight mom and dad" and go to bed. And then later, much later, they wake up, put on something cute and sneak out of the house to do things they shouldn't be doing (but that their parents probably did when they were teenagers). And then a few hours later they sneak inside through a window so no one hears the door open, put their jammies back on, 'wake up' and say "good morning mom and dad!"
Crazy, I know.
Anyways. Sad story all around but a lesson to the rest of us (especially those parents who obviously don't post on Free Republic because they have teenage kids who do this kind of stuff): Know what you're shooting at before you pull the trigger and heartbreaking tragedies can be avoided.
I know this is easy for me to say at this point but I think The old rule of “Identifying your target” applies here.
I see this as a time for sorrow. Of course there are reasons to question what happened, but gee whiz folks, take a chill pill. However misguided the step-dad’s actions, I don’t think for a moment he thought he was shooting his step-daughter. That loss would certainly put his whole life in jeopardy, his relations with the rest of the family, and possible criminal charges on top of that.
What guy would choose this eventuality?
I am very saddened by what took place, and my sympathy goes out to this family. They need all they can get right now.
Tragic situation.
But the media is exploiting it to advance their anti-gun agenda.
We hardly ever hear of lives saved by people who shot or scared away criminals trying to break into their homes to murder them.
Good Lord.
I think I can protect my property without shooting my family.
I know people who have had that happen with a daughter, not even 14.
He may be a mustang. That is he started out enlisted and received his commission after several years as an non-comm.
Agreed, But what is a 14 year old doing out at 5 am?
Then why did you post?
IDENTIFY the target!
Sorry but decorated veteran or not,the stepfather made a really stupid decision.Now his stepdaughter is dead,he probably SHOULD be prosecuted,his marriage is likely over,and he has given “ammunition” to those who say the average person can’t be trusted with guns.
The rare ,and entirely preventable, mistaken identity killings of family members is ALWAYS the fault of the shooter who failed to properly exercise “gun sense” and shot at motion or shadow without identifying if there even was a threat.It really doesn’t matter whether the boy or girl is shot trying to sneak in or out,or coming from the bathroom or an unauthorized midnight snack in the darkened kitchen. IF YOU CAN’T POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE NOISE OR MOTION AS A THREAT DON’T SHOOT.
As an aside,I am so tired of the mindset that just because someone has been in military service they are automatically better than those who weren’t.There have always been a sampling of all types in uniform and that means a few fools,slackers,con artists,thieves, addicts, and even murderers, as well as the great majority just doing a job and the true heroes.
A girl was going into her house and her step dad killed her. The only question is what should the punishment be for the killer. Some jail time at least I’d say.
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