[longtermmemmory]

with all respect to your children and grandchildren, I have seen more than enough of such "good boys" tried and convicted as adults in the criminal courts. They all have mothers who come to court and say this or that was harmless or he just fell into a bad crowd.

His intent is the issue. Knocking/ringing/banging on a strangers door is suspect.

From a mischieviou "yout" I would say michief would dictate rining the bell and running away FAST!

[Ditter]

Regardless of what we have seen kids do in the past, we are talking about this particular boy. Didn't the article say he had been ringing doorbells all over the neighborhood? Did he do anything other than this childish trick at any of the other houses? For whatever reason, this man overreacted & this boy died. A man sized boychild should not have been playing childish pranks in the middle of the night & this man should not have shot someone running away from him. I see the man as being more at fault than the boy, because he used deadly force when it was not needed.