Teen pulling prank killed by neighbor

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

[lifacs]

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

[Trickyguy]

The owner probably would have machine-gunned the whole
neighborhood if he found a bag of flaming dog poop on his front porch.

[demlosers]

Apparently, the shooter had bad judgement.

[MeekOneGOP]

bttt for later read ...

[chicagolady]

It is a new day. Sure it was a kids prank , but I USE TO be able to be out all evening trick or treating and parents did not give it a second thought.

Would you do that in THIS day and age? Never!
Times are a changing. If I was home alone, what would I do at midnight? I have no idea.
I do not totally blame the guy.

[Ches]

Bang

[StatesEnemy]

Manslaughter at least.

[alisasny]

The 16 year old should not have been out wandering the streets at 1230 am.

[Normal4me]

Anyone else find it odd that a high school is named after Pope John Paul II?

[LurkedLongEnough]

The homeowner was at fault because he used deadly force inappropriately. I feel sorry for him, now that he knows what he did, he must feel awful.

However, the kid used bad judgment too, thinking that his imposing frame would be a humorous apparition, in literally the middle of the night.

Overall, a terrible tragedy.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

You are personally responsible for the consequences of every bullet you fire.

I cannot possibly understand how this dead boy was guilty of any crime. Knocking on a front door is not a capital offense. If you fear answering the door, don't answer it or peek out the window to see who is there before you open it. If you don't recognize the person, don't open the door or yell through the door for the person to identify himself.

There were too many common sense options available to this shooter before he opened fire. I'd put the shooter in prison if I was on the jury.

If the boy had broken into the house, I'd be with the shooter all the way.

[JZoback]

Manslaughter at least.

Only if the kid was shot in the back.

Part of the responsibility of owning a gun is the training when to use it.

Shooting someone in the back while fleeing is illegal

[JZoback]

Anyone else find it odd that a high school is named after Pope John Paul II?

No. Why?

[lifacs]

Times are a changing. If I was home alone, what would I do at midnight? I have no idea.

I know what I wouldn't do and that is to open my front door at midnight and shoot out it into the night. Granted, he did hit his target, but it still seems pretty irresponsible to me. I take gun ownership a little bit more seriously than this guy does and I don't even have a ccw permit (don't need one for shotguns).

[laredo44]

Times are a changing. If I was home alone, what would I do at midnight? I have no idea.

I understand, but would you answer the door? Or would you call through it to see who was there? Or peered out a window to see who was there? Or maybe called 911 and ask someone to investigate. The very last thing I'd do is open the door without knowing who was behind it.

Beyond that, something else doesn't add up about this report. The kid rang the bell and stood there waiting for someone to answer. That doesn't jibe with "playing knock on the door and run". Even other neighbors/prank victims reported they "found nobody there".

[MichaelDammit]

Something tells me there may be more to this story.....

[chicagolady]

Personally, I have had someone (some drunk person I did not know) pound on my door in the middle of the night.
I know the fear that can grip you. NO I do NOT have windows to look out of. I am in a basement apartment.
That is why I speak from experience!
I do not know what I would have done. BUT I do know the fear that can grip you!

[JoeSixPack1]

Carhart said ringing doorbells and running is not generally considered to be a crime.

If you're 8 years old, ok.

If you're 6feet 2inches tall and 210lbs, at 12:30 am you don't bang the crap out of a neighbors door for fun or otherwise. Intimidation is not always met with fear, and shouldn't be. The homeowner was obviously intimidated and responded to that intimidation with leathal force out of arrogance, ignorance or whatever.

Sorry the giant kid died.

[chicagolady]

I work for a police dept. Call 911 in Chicago???
The cops would get there in about a half hour. What do you want me to do in the mean time?

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

"What is so important that you are defending that you need a gun?" said Quiroga, the mother of two teenage boys, before breaking into tears.

Let me answer that one Mrs. Quiroga. My father, who just had a heart attack and was implanted with a pacemaker/defibrillator and is NOT a candidate for heart surgery, was just awakened where he lives by the VERY SAME THING the other night. He picked up the pistol he owns and went to the door around MIDNIGHT to see who it was. No one was there. If it continues to happen, then I am going to go over there and stay with him. Do you need any more information, Mrs. Quiroga? Keep your child at HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!