November 8, 2008
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8-Year-Old Arrested for Double-Murder
An 8-year-old boy was arrested for double-murder after shooting his father and another man.
Usually children are considered to lack competency in murder cases. The police chief believes an exception will be made in this case. Here is the link: Link
Do you think an 8-year-old should be held responsible for a murder?
Comments (157)
=o
Yikes!!!!! Depends on if he thought it was a game, or if he had bad intent! Tough call!!!!
this is why you lock up your weapons and dont teach kids to play shooter games until they are 13 and/or are old enough to understand.
I don’t think so… He’s only 8 and I don’t think he meant to get carried away. He’ll feel enough guilt as he grows up.
2 people? Dang. Not the death sentence but definitely some kind of juvenile detention
No. At that age, he had no idea of the consequences of his actions. An eight year old is not a hardened criminal; his life can still be salvaged if society is only willing to invest in saving him. The British generally handle this type of situation much better than we do.
A child shooting ONE person accidentally is not considered a murdered to me, but in this case, it seems like the child had bad intentions.
ouch
3rd bitches!
If it was an accident…..no. But if he had malicious intention…he needs to be put in a program
I have insufficient information to make an accurate judgement on the issue.
Two people? That’s no accident.
Regardless of age, that child should be held responsible. He had full intentions of hurting somebody for sure.
Unless it was in self-defense then no. Otherwise I would need more infomation before conviction.
well the exceptionally vague story seems to attempt an implication that there are circumstances in this case in which the competency of the boy are not in question. however the article does not actually mention that an exception is being applied nor, if there are indeed exceptions, how they negate the issue of competency.
I can’t support adult prosecution because an 8 year old does not have the brain or the experience of an adult. The human brain is not fully developed until aprox age 21. Charge him through the juvenile court so her gets the treatment he needs.
Wow… This one is a hard one.. Erm. yes I mean he DID DO IT so..
Okay, any of you people that think that just because of his age, he should be treated differently, are ignorant and just plain dumb. Any person that can stand there and shoot not only one, but TWO people with a gun definitely had bad intent.
Now, obviously, because of laws and such, he will get away with it and probably just grow up in some juvenile home thing until he is 18 or 20, but that’s because of laws for minors, as I said.
8, no, 12, maybe.
No, not fully.
Clearly, any case of child-murder is extraordinary and carries with it a particular set of circumstances– and each should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Any child does not have the developed intellect and life experiences to fully measure and understand the concenquences of his actions. I’m sure in his mind, there is a “right” and a “wrong,” and that murder falls in the “wrong” category– but none of this probably extends beyond TV and computer-game musings.
A child that young also has the capacity and opportunity for change.
I am definitely going to read the link for this one….
@DrugInducedDuck - he killed not one but two fucking people…..how sad.
@tommynguyen02 - I agree.
Maybe.
That 8yr old person can’t possibly understand the gravity of what they have done. Some serious help of some type is needed.
I think some intense psychotherapy may be a good idea.
I read the link. I agree with @QuantumStorm; not enough information to work with.
@thegreatchristopher - ”3rd bitches!”
My guess is that most of us Xangans can count, and that your gloating only irritates most of us.
@huginn - no thats a old tradition on dans site. i did it even if im #115
i cant form an educated opinion on this matter since the article lacked so much information.
but, i think that he can be charged with homicide, which is why there are juvenile delinquent centers..this is so disheartening
@thegreatchristopher - It’s a lame “tradition.”
I don’t see anyone else here doing back-flips of self-gratification.
They link is extremely vague. They tell you there are circumstances being taken into account, but they don’t tell you what they are. I really have a hard time believing an eight year old boy capable of shooting two people without being extremely emotional or extremely troubled in some way. An eight year old does not have “bad intentions” when it comes to something as extreme as shooting two people down.
I think he needs treatment, not a prison cell. He’s obviously well on his way to becoming a psychopath and really the only way to prevent further instances or him getting any worse would be to treat him.
Well if he didn’t freak out when one man died, he probably knew what was happening, and I think that makes him competent.
yes…
sort of
maybe
that’s tough to call. two people? thats just fishy.
Xo
@thegreatchristopher - *shrugs* Fair enough.
I’ll still periodically needle you on the point, so be preapred. =P
I cannot wait to hear what the pro-lifers say about the death penalty for a kid.
yes. and he needs some therapy
according to cnn, it was premeditated and police have proof of that.
so shit, maybe he was aware. I dont think able to firmly grasp the concept of death though, and I’ll explain why— and if anyone wants to laugh its totally cool.
when I was 13 Aaliyah died. I was walking home with my mom and I said something like “wow… that sucks. for the rest of her life she wont be able to record more albums, etc”:… and then my mom said, “there is no ‘rest of her life’, its over”. and that was the exact moment it sorta clicked to me.. that death was the end…
and hey I was an honor student too! but I guess I was so stuck in my own little dream world and was naive but still. I dont know that kids have that kinda mental capacity.
The article doesn’t tell you enough to decide – was he angry at his father and brother and wanted to hurt them or was he just copying what he has seen without thinking anyone would really get hurt?
YES! Otherwise, all kids will be employed to carry out assassination tasks and they will not be held responsible.
@nluvwgreenday - I completely agree with you. Took the words out of my mouth… or fingertips…
That’s a tough one because it depends if he did it accidentally or with malice. :
Wel, if they’re going to do it anyway, might as well. 8 year olds can have major issues too, but they don’t know the resources that adults do to help them. But who am I? Just married to a therapist is all.
that’s quite scary. this is a tough call but regardless, he needs to get locked up. the question is for how long.
there have been cases of even younger children killing other chikdren younger than themselves – and reportedly they knew what they were doing – kids know about death.
The beginning of Halloween comes to mind….
“We think an exception can be made based on the facts and circumstances
… This is precedent-setting. We’re going to charge an 8-year-old with
two counts of homicide.”
They don’t specify the facts or circumstances. All I can say is that people need to do a better job at keeping their weapons hidden.
No, I don’t think a child would do that unless they were in some sort of SERIOUS trouble.
yea.
Maybe…if he tried to shoot more, then yes, I guess you can call that a different case.
@thegreatchristopher - Who are you competing against? “3rd…”?
@thegreatchristopher - they were having sex at the time? I don’t blame him, then, that’d be a scary sight for an 8 year old.
*sigh*
I am just loving the responses here. (“Oh, well…I don’t know if a kid should be tried for killing two people.”) Hmm… I’m pretty sure that at eight years old, any kid should know that—oh, no way–killing is bad.
I couldn’t really say unless I had his motive. But even if he did it to intentionally kill his father and the boarder, he shouldn’t get the death penalty. I don’t even believe in the death penalty for adults, but that’s a whole other issue.
People really need to learn how to set their guns to the “safety” option, lock ‘em up, or hide them better. Otherwise, they should really have no business owning one.
@nluvwgreenday - Okay, any of you people that think that just because of his age, he should be treated differently, are ignorant and just plain dumb.
No second-grader is as mentally competent as an adult or even a late-teen. No second-grader have had as much life-experience as a young adult. So much can be concluded about the 8-year-old “just because of his age.”
Any person that can stand there and shoot not only one, but TWO people with a gun definitely had bad intent.
Granted. Yet, in consideration of crimes, we need to take into account the larger context. A seriously retarded down’s-syndrome patient shooting a man is very different than a competent middle-aged person shooting a man.
Now, obviously, because of laws and such, he will get away with it and probably just grow up in some juvenile home thing until he is 18 or 20, but that’s because of laws for minors, as I said.
At 8, the kid still impressionable and has many years ahead of him. There is more time and a greater opportunity of correction than with cases involving young adults.
whoa thats every parent’s worse nightmare
Seeing your little angel* hunting you down pointing a gun at you
Scary stuff
When I was eight, I knew it was NOT ok to shoot people, or kill them Therefore, I believe he should be held responsible. He needs to be put in counciling ASAP though.
@DrugInducedDuck - lol @ scary sight
how can any of us know? an assessment needs to be done on the child to see if he can be held responsible, it’s basically impossible for any of us to spectulate.
it sounds like everything has already worked out just the way it should have.
@huginn - Okay, so the difference between a man with life experience that knows better that shoots one man on purpose and an eight year old without life experience, that isn’t “old enough” to know better, but shoots two men is?
Has anyone taken into consideration that it takes thought and KNOWLEDGE to pick up a gun, and fire not one, but twice? Obviously this kid knew what he was doing. Eight years old or not. Age is not an excuse.
@nluvwgreenday - Okay, so the difference between a man with life experience that knows better that shoots one man on purpose and an eight year old without life experience, that isn’t “old enough” to know better, but shoots two men is?
There is a big difference betweeing knowing why something shouldn’t be done and understanding full why it shoudln’t be done– there is even a bigger step in appreciating the concencquences of it all.
Yes– a first or second-grader should know better, that murder is “wrong.” But this itself does not mean that a child should be tried as an adult in a murder case.
2 people dead, there has to be more to it, 8-18-80 if he did murder, he should be punished for it. I will interested in hearing the outcome. Keep us posted.
Well, they don’t explain anything in the article. I’d need to know facts about the case and why he killed the two men before I make an opinion. Personally though, if anyone kills anyone (with the exception of the death penalty) they should be held responsible, no matter what age. The kid could be a psychopath in the making.
Two people can’t be an accident…
This is clearly a delicate issue and it depends on a number of factors all centered around the child. Was he well-known for previous violent and/or threatening behavior? Was he at all reclusive? Did he have a complete understanding of what he was doing and what the end result would be? Did he believe that like the movies, that no one would be seriously injured by this? (not blaming Hollywood but rather a lack of realism left unexplained by his parents) Where was his mother during all of this? Did his parents recently seperate? Was the boarder his father’s gay lover? Had the boarder sexually assulted the boy in some way? These are things that must be answered before mere mortals can intelligently answer a question of this nature.
Uh, yeah. The little fucker killed two people. At the very least, we should give him a very stern talking-to.
@mkenyon719 - Could be?
@huginn - It doesn’t matter if he himself actually “knows” murder is wrong or “understands.” If someone can spell, talk, count, or have a conversation with someone, they have the ability to understand simple concepts. And you haven’t disproven the fact that the child was able to shoot the gun once. Now, I am no expert in guns and would not know how to shoot a gun myself, so apparently, someone taught this child to shoot the gun, and he knew how to do so TWICE. We are not talking about the gun being loaded and ready for a shot, and the kid just happens to pick it up and shoot it. The kid actually shot TWICE. Come on!
@nluvwgreenday - It doesn’t matter if he himself actually “knows” murder is wrong or “understands.” If someone can spell, talk, count, or have a conversation with someone, they have the ability to understand simple concepts.
Life and death are not simple concepts.
All states and most countries do agree enough on my sentiments to pass sentencing laws for dealing with child-murderers.
@FunnymanGeorge - The article doesn’t say why he shot the adults. It really doesn’t mention anything. It makes you assume tons of things. I try not to make an assumption without facts. I’d be curious to hear what a psychological evaluation said about the kid.
@huginn -Explain to me this. What is complex about life or death. The simple fact of the matter is that life is life, you are born. Death is death, you die. I don’t see anything complex or hard to understand there.
WOAH. Send the kid to prison asap. But then again that’ll ruin his life and he’ll only become worse. DAAAAAAMN. Just wow.
@nluvwgreenday - What is your position exactly? What we should strap this kid to an electric-chair and wave goodbye?
@huginn - Obviously not. Nobody deserves to be fried. (All though i do believe in the death penalty by lethal injection.)
But this kid did something illegal, and he should have to pay for it like anyone else would have to. Juvenile Correctional Centers and maybe some prison-time until he is 25 or 30 would do him no harm.
@QuantumStorm - Kudos.
@thegreatchristopher - I agree.
@nluvwgreenday - Sure, sounds about right.
@Koolou -
I agree with the therapy idea.
He should have to learn that what he did was wrong, if he doesn’t already know it. If he DOES know it, then I guess he should be held responsible…
Yep. Lock the little shit up, and when he’s 21 he should be reviewed and be on watch for the rest of his damn life.
They say it was pre-meditated. And he killed two guys. If proven guilty, no matter if he’s 8 or younger, he should be charged. 8 year-olds aren’t that innocent. They have been taught time and again what’s right and wrong.
There wasn’t enough information in the article to tell me whether or not the kid should be charged. To charge an eight year-old with murder is not the best way to make a statement, or better put, not the best statement to make.
uhh…yah, he did afterall killed someone. but maybe a less harsher punishment, and more on education?
This is a hard one. The kid is 8 years old. He’s nowhere near the age of an adult but at the same time I know for sure this kid knew what he did was wrong. He shot and killed two people, one being his father. I’m not sure about this one
sorry for the late reply, I’ve been busy with school and work.
it was nice meeting you too ^_^
and don’t worry about it, I like listening. ^_^
It really depends on whether or not he meant to kill them. I don’t know if he should be held responsible. He is just 8.
what a crazy world huh?
This is reminding me of that movie…was it Alfred Hitchcock? “Bang, Bang You’re Dead”…yea. Interesting story and with it being 2 victims including the boy’s own father…. I don’t know, at age 8 I KNEW what death was and what basic things could harm/kill you (guns being one of them since I grew up with a family FULL of hunters) and I think things like this can be easily comprehended by young children; we don’t give them enough credit for how observant and understanding they can be. It is the intent that’s what needs proving and it seems like a tough situation. I honestly can’t give a full yes or no answer :/
He shot two people, so I doubt it was an accident.
Wooooooooh. Disturbing.
The police interviewed him without his mother or attorney present and obtained a confession? The police have an 8 year old locked up in jail? There’s no judicial limit set on the age of criminal responsibility? This kid may well need some professional intervention, but this is unlikely to be it. Or perhaps the authorities ignored a known problem until it resulted in tragedy? Good going, Arizona.
There was really not enough information to make a judgment call on this one. They did not tell you frame of my mind, if the boy new fiction from reality. Come on Dan, this is really not a discussion based on that link. Need more into.
@saintvi - You might be surprised at how smart some 8 year olds are. In my neighborhood where the street are tough, I know kindergartners who have more knowledge about life, death, and the legal system than most college students.
It is frightening the world they live in and what they get out of it.
An exception to the law? No, that’s arbitrariness.
Part of me feels by that age they understand about death, and hurting others… but maybe he’s not old enough to realize the depth to it.. what all is impacted by it.
Maybe to a point, some media aspects are desensitizing children.
I think, at this point, he probably just needs some support with the mental issues he was probably facing in the first place, and the ones he’s sure to face after what he has done.
There was a junior high school boy in our hometown who shot himself in the school bathroom (probably going on 5 years ago, now)… and it was, overall, a confusing and heartbreaking situation.
Especially in a small town that doesn’t have things of that nature happening frequently.
Depending upon the maturity lvl of the child yes. Soem 8 year olds are very aware of there world and right and wrong.. some are not. Really not enough details to say.
Maybe.
I can’t even answer that.
People honestly think 8 year olds don’t know the consequences of their actions? People were retarded at the age of 8?
Seriously, maybe a 4 or 5 year old wouldn’t understand consequences, good or bad, etc. But 8? They’re not babies. They know damn well what they’re doing.
Its frustratingly annoying to know so many people somehow think you only become responsible when you’re 13 or something.
I’m not saying I know how to resolve the problem, it really is a sticky situation. All I’m saying is, unless pulling the trigger itself was an accident, the act was not a mistake.
Hmm. If an 8 year old kid punches someone in the face, does he get prosecuted for domestic violence? Not likely. Murder is a bigger deal, but the concept is the same: he’s a KID. Scientists agree that children’s brains (especially the part that can properly comprehend consequences) are not fully developed until a person is 21 years of age. 8 years old is way younger than that. The kid needs HELP, not jail time. If anything, his mother should be prosecuted. She obviously is not raising her kid right.
Wow…this is very tragic for the family of this young child. I do belive he should be punished for it unless he was defending himself. Why would he even be allowed contact with a gun or to be any where near it. That’s..different.
No…. but the child does need serious therapy.
@huginn - If you are talking about mental competency, some adults are as mature as a 5 year olds. Maybe, we should exclude them from prosecution.
@PJrhymeswithcoolJ - Agreed.
Holy shit. Thinking back to when I was eight…I’m pretty sure I knew what a gun did and I knew what death was. I mean, eight year olds aren’t totally incompetent. What to do with this kid, I’ve got no opinion. He’ll clearly need therapy.
Truly depends on his pysch profile.
It depends and I need more facts.
Since I don’t really know either the child or the details that the police have. I would have to say no.
no he should not. under the law, we are judged by a reasonable man standard and i believe that an 8 year old does not constitute a reasonable man.
@thegreatchristopher - No one gives a fuck.
@drakonskry - lol
@Amyld - but it was two people.
nah if he was 12 or 13 maybe
Therapy sessions? He’s only eight, so there’s not much you can do with him.
What a horrible thing for a child to carry with him through childhood and the rest of his life…
Everyone is responsible for their actions, but the circumstances of the situation should decide the severity of his punishment.
“police overreached in questioning the boy without representation from a parent or attorney and did not advise him of his rights. “ (Quote from article)
No judge in thier right mind is going to allow this case to go to trial. An appealate court would have a field day with it.
I’m just trying to imagine an 8 year old holding and successfully using a 22 caliber rifle. That’s ridiculous. Maybe a handgun, pistol, i dunno. But a big rifle like that… that’s crazy.
fuck yes he should.. you cant just shoot 2 people and get away with it
I think some children are capable of anything.
I’m still a skeptic. The media taints their information and uses unjust bias. Police do not release all the information they have. It could have been an accident. The dad could have been abusive, but never caught. The kid could need mental evaluation. There are just too many unanswered questions to make a judgment call on this one.
Throw him in the slammer.
If he has indeed been abused, and if I was his lawyer. I wouldhave the kid plead not guilty, due to battered woman syndrome.
If a wife can shoot a spouse who had been abusing her, and get off. Why can’t a child shoot his or her abuser?
I’d like to know what overwhelming evidence has convinced the police that there was premeditation.
Children as young as 5 can and have been charged with crimes such as battery (and found guilty). So being a child doesnt mean you get away with adult crime.
@le_meme_chose - The
reasonable man standard does not mean a reasonable “man” but rather, in
this situation, would another 8 year old boy, with the same physical
and mental characteristics, make the same decision. But the reasonable
person test doesnt apply here if he is being charged with 1st
degree murder. Its used in crimes of passion (in criminal law). And there can be no
premeditation in a crime of passion.
Were the people he shot McCain Supporters or Obama, that should make the case swing one way or the other…..
No, I think he should receive heavy counseling.
Michael Myers anyone?
whoa what?!? I would have to talk to the child and decide intent before making and decisions…8? crazy
Has the child been assessed for psychopathology? You’re never too young to be a sociopath – you just think less about killing when you’re younger.
therapy yes…but lifetime in jail?!?! come on! I know he shot two guys but can they really do that…this fool isn’t even a decade old.
No. It really depends on the circumstances though…I honestly don’t think an 8 year old would understand the situation well enough..
when you’re that young, every little thing seems so much bigger and more dramatic because life itself is so much bigger in comparison to one’s own mental world at that point. if he was abused then who should blame him for wanting to punish or exact revenge on the inflictor(s) of his suffering. at the same time, the slightest percieved wrong could have driven him to a state of misery so intense that he might consider murder as an option. also, young children sometimes don’t understand the gravity of such actions. They might not fully realize the finality of death or even the wrongness of murder. moral principles are still liquid in such an underdevloped mind. now, clearly, the boy needs therapy because this sort of experience is bound to fuck him up worse than he clearly is already. also, discipline and consequences are in order, as in any case of a child committing a wrong doing. but he can’t appropriately be tried or punished as an adult because it would have the desired effect at all but might, instead, serve to worsen his mental condition. things like this prove that we need a more effective system of juvenile court and discipline for deviants so young, one that may be prepared for grave circumstances such as these.
I had to do a double-take. Holy sh*t, what’s is wrong with this world now?
Wow – Depends on the child and his maturity and understanding – He should DEFINITELY KNOW he’s responsible and counseling is in order for sure – Not sure.
I’ve read two articles on this case. There is not enough information, but I am suspicious that something was not rigfht in that house. This kid had had no previous incidents or problems in school or elsewhere. I don’t think an 8 year old ends up shooting two people & yes, police consider it premeditated, without something going on. We just don’t know what his motive was. Maybe it will be revealed later.
Otherwise, I tend to side with those who believe an 8 year old should not be treated as an adult.
yes.
no matter the age
they should own up
cause so much problem otherwise
I think it depends on the kid….there are some sick kiddos out there.
Excellent question – PROBABLY DEPENDS UPON HIS COMPETENCY. WOULD REALLY NEED MORE INFORMATION BEFORE I MADE UP MY MIND. THANK GOD THE DETECTIVES, LAWYERS, JUDGES AND JURYS ALL LOOK AT EVIDENCE SURROUDING EVENTS LIKE THESE INSTEAD OF JUST ASKING THEMSELVES OR OTHERS:
“Do you think an 8-year-old should be held responsible for a murder?”
I would like to know what was going on in the home that led up to the shooting. 2 grown men were shot. I am wondering if there was sexual abuse and pysical abuse going on that led up to the boy shooting the adults. The dad felt the child was old enough to have a gun…that reminded me of what a close friend told me about what her dad did to her. As soon as she started kindergarden, he felt she was old enough to start having sex and abused her for 6 years. I think he was defending himself personally. One says that it was premeditated…by whom??? Was the dad wanting to shoot the friend because the friend was having an affair with the wife and set the boy up to shoot both of them, but shot the wrong person? Think about it. 8 year olds are not murderers unless there is way more to it. My son will be 8 this april. He does not know how to fire a gun yet, but when I feel he is old enough to learn (hunting) I sure as hell wont get him a real gun. My brothers got shot guns when they were 10, but they were old enough to know what not to do.
I say this needs to be investigated further and regardless, the child should be treated as a CHILD!!! Thats what he is.
That depends upon his intention. If he knew what he was doing and aimed for the results of his actions, then absolutely.
what kind of idiot hands a gun to their child at that age, OR ANY AGE? hunting or not hunting, it’s a bad thing to do!!!
Yes. He killed them, so he should be held responsible.
@jberg134 - The human brain is not fully developed until aprox age 21. Do you really think that a 20-year-old’s brain would not be developed enough to understand the consequences of shooting someone?
@lovemonkeyy -
exactly!
Oh no!!
if he isn’t punished now what will happen when he is older and gets mad at someone and does it again? regardless of age there has to be some responsibility taken. its not like the gun “accidentally” discharged. it had to be loaded, slide pulled back and fired. he knew what he was doing. he needs to be put somewhere not in a jailhouse and undergo therapy to help him deal with what he has done and hopefully that it never happens again.
I think he should be transfered to an incredibly loving and nurturing family, start playing more sports, and join a couple clubs. Getting involved and being happy and loved are the ingredients for a crime-free future.
can’t tell from the article. Not enough info.
no never. children are CHILDREN. stop charging them as adults.
I think there is just something incredibly wrong with an 8 year old to plan out the killing of his father, is it even possible that he could have planned it out? You would think it was an accident with the way the article describes the father and son relationship.
The kid is like in 3rd grade, don’t put him in jail just put him in intense therapy and remove him from school for long time. He’s 8 he can’t go to juvie.
This is a difficult question. Rarely in our history have we been exposed to such a deluge of children committing such violent crimes as this as we see today. This is NOT normal behavior for children. And yet, children- being children- cannot be held responsible for their actions. Yet again… this is certainly a case of premeditated murder.
Obviously, this child needs to be placed in detention for the remainder of his childhood. If he can commit such a crime at such an age, what other violent crimes is he capable of; now and in the future? Society must be protected. Hopefully, with diligence, this deviant impulse can be removed from him in the process. The history of such things, however, is not encouraging.
Another (and fundamental) question to be asked is… how? What is it today that creates such monsters among young children? What is different now from past times when violent crimes among children were relatively unknown?
The answer is glaring. The culture. As never before, the pop culture extolls violence, sex, morbidity, nihilism and perversity to all corners of the nation and through every form of communication. We who are older and know this sort of thing for what it is can deal with it rationally and recognize its innate vileness. Children- without maturity, life experience and, all too often, without proper adult guidance- cannot do so.
Unfortunately, working parents can’t handle their children’s moral needs as well as before… or successfully counter the plenthora of bad influences to which they are subjected from all sides.
The child protective laws and decency statutes must be envoked and the violators prosecuted. Until they are, more messed up kids (and killer kids) will be the result.
1. the murder weapon was a .22-caliber rifle
why the picture of a handgun?
2.
Police say the boy planned killings
i’m trying to think back to when i was 8. When I turned 8, I was a few months shy of graduating from 2nd grade, pretty cognizant, knew right from wrong. as it turns out, the kid is in the 3rd grade. kids are definitely capable of a lot of things, even at a young age. without a doubt, we can add the “precocious” title to the kid.
3. in the very least, he’s going to have to work this out at a juvenile detention center over the next 10 years.
hopefully he’ll be receiving an education, meeting with a counselor and have a new lease on life when he turns 18 years old. the only thing I would not do is expunge his record entirely in that the court and criminal justice system would have been on record but as far as public information is concerned, he’d get a “clean” opportunity (school, employment etc.) at 18.
Whether or not this was premeditated still doesn’t change the fact that this is an 8 year old kid. Even if he did plan to do it, he is incapable of fully understanding the consequences that his actions would have. That’s why they have different laws for kids in the first place. This boy needs serious help.
I’m not totaly convinst he did it. i mean its pretty hard to say that two grown men were not able to stop a 8 year old child not just from shooting 1 but both peaple plus the fact that an 8 year old kid can get ahold of a gun load, cock and shoot a killing blow without some adult help, i’m just thinking there might have been a 3rd party influinse on this one..