5-Year-Old Boy Dies Day After Being Shot By Older Brother

AP | 09/08/01

[My Favorite Headache]

5-year-old boy dies day after being shot by older brother

Saturday, September 8, 2001

Associated Press

DAYTONA BEACH — A 5-year-old boy died Friday, a day after his 6-year-old brother accidentally shot him in the head.

Roben Long died at 11:25 p.m. at Halifax Medical Center. He had been in critical condition since arriving there early Thursday morning, The News-Journal of Daytona Beach reported.

His brother, Robert, told police he found a revolver under the couch where his uncle was sleeping and, without realizing it was loaded, shot Roben.

"I did it. I shot him in the head. I did not mean it," the boy told police while screaming and crying. "(I) didn't mean to hurt him."

Their uncle, Gary Brown, 48, was sleeping when the shot was fired and woke up when a neighbor ran in the house after hearing the noise.

Their mother, Tessa Maria Frazier, 23, returned from a nearby bar in time to transport the injured boy to the hospital.

The two boys had been playing outside their apartment until 2 a.m. when a neighbor made them stay in their house.

Police interviewed Brown, the 6-year-old and the neighbor, but Daytona Beach Police spokesman Sgt. Al Tolley declined to comment further on the nature of the department's inquiries.

Agency officials took 6-year-old Robert and his 11-month old sister — also in the apartment during the shooting — into custody Thursday.

The family had been in a crisis family counseling program sponsored by the state Department of Children and Families.

[riley1992]

Good God. Where do you even begin?

[TERMINATTOR]

To bad the kid didn't shoot the stupid uncle.

[Godebert]

"Their mother, Tessa Maria Frazier, 23, returned from a nearby bar in time to transport the injured boy to the hospital.

They don't report why she was at a bar until after 2:00am. No mention of a father either. Did the loaded revolver under the sofa belong to the sleeping uncle? Why didn't he wake-up after the shot was fired? Would like more information, but from what we know so far, these adults were very irresponsible.

[Right Face]

Their uncle, Gary Brown, 48, was sleeping when the shot was fired and woke up when a neighbor ran in the house after hearing the noise.

The gun shot didn't wake this guy up? I've passed out drunk a time or two but damn...I can't believe this. What a tragic thing.

[FSPress]

Why has the news media stepped up coverage of all shootings. The rate these shootings occur at has likely not suddenly changed, so why all the focus by the major media outlets. What are the anti's fixing to start pushing in Congress now? Guess, full court media blitz on all fronts and topics followed by a comprise to make 50's class 3 in order to shut the anti's up.

[Disgusted in Texas]

Prosecute the uncle for having been so irresponsible to leave a loaded gun ,laying around. Prosecute the mother for child endangerment .Also if she isn't spayed ,have it done immediatly. The woman showed a complete lack of love and caring for her children. Those kids never had a chance. What a "family"...How sad.

[Leisler]

Just like they ramped up the stories about winos, er I mean homeless, and stories about south africa during the end of the Bush administration. BillyBob gets in and zip, stories go to zero.

Move along fokes, move along.

[Leisler]

Dad, or dads, gone.

Unwed mom in bar till 2.00 am.

Unemployed "Uncle" passed out( suposedly ).

It is the guns falt.

[Falcon4.0]

He did just what he was trained to do by Hollywood.
When you find a gun you pick it up and point it at someones head and pull the trigger.
Isn't that what your suppose to do with guns?

[Eugene Tackleberry]

Come to think of it, the uncle stored the gun just like they do in movies -- under the couch/pillow. Ever seen a movie where a gun was stored in a Simplex lock operated gun box?

[LibKill]

No kids in my house, but if there were I would invest in one of those handgun safes that allow the adult instant access while keeping kids out.

[Slyfox]

The two boys had been playing outside their apartment until 2 a.m. when a neighbor made them stay in their house.

No comment.

[AdvisorB]

And Janet Reno's favorite solution: send in armed jackbooted thugs, and confiscate all guns. After all, she's just doing it for the children.

[Texas Mom]

. Those kids never had a chance. What a "family"...How sad.

This was a disaster waiting to happen. Those two babies are the victims of stupid irresponsible adults.

Wouldn't it have been nice if someone had given these two their baths, put their jammies on and tucked them in bed about 5 or 6 hours earlier? Just thinking, and feeling so bad for both of these little ones.

[Texas Mom]

How do we know that Mom wasn't working as a barmaid to support the kids and the uncle?

We don't. You're right. But I would think if she was working they would have mentioned she returned from work, rather than the wording they did use.

[supercat]

"I did it. I shot him in the head. I did not mean it," the boy told police while screaming and crying. "(I) didn't mean to hurt him."

Why can't we get something like Eddie Eagle in the schools to teach kids that if you point a gun at someone's head and pull the trigger bad things are likely to happen?

[My Favorite Headache]

Good God. Where do you even begin?>>>>

You just don't. You see an end to everything everywhere in this story.