Posted on 11/27/2008 7:53:58 AM PST by marktwain
ASHTABULA — A 15-year-old shot a burglar late Friday night after the burglar and two cohorts broke into the teen’s West Side home, police said Monday.
The teenager and his 14-year-old brother were home alone when three men came to the house, police said. The teens recognized two out three of the men, according to their mother, who spoke with the Star Beacon Monday.
The identities of the teens is not being disclosed because they are juveniles. The identity of their mother is not being disclosed to protect the teens.
When the boys refused to let the men in the house, one of the men took the butt of a shotgun and smashed the window out of the front door, police said.
That’s when the older boy ran upstairs to retrieve his father’s handgun, his mother said.
In the meantime, the intruders told the younger teen they would kill both of them if he didn’t open the door, the mother said.
“They held a gun to his head,” she said.
Sgt. John Koski said the 15-year-old came down the stairs and shot one of the intruders in the leg. The men then took off.
“The bullet went in the leg and out through his buttocks,” the mother said.
The teens’ parents soon returned home from the store and a relative’s house, and police were called to the scene, the mother said.
In the meantime, police received a call from Ashtabula County Medical Center that a 21-year-old city man showed up with a gunshot wound to the leg, Koski said.
“He said a kid accidentally shot him,” he said. “The wound was in the exact place the 15-year-old said he shot the intruder.”
Police arrested and charged the 21-year-old man with aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony; attempted felonious assault and having a weapon under disability, Koski said, noting the suspect is a known felon.
The suspect’s name is being withheld until his arraignment.
As of Monday afternoon, police were securing warrants for the other two suspects, Koski said.
No charges will be brought against the teen, police said.
The mother said the men told the boys they wanted money.
“I imagine the idea is to go after gangsta types who are unlikely to have said parental permission.”
unlikely able to find ...Dad.
I think it depends on the kid.
I’ve got at least one daughter who I would have happily trusted with access to a firearm at that age because she was mature and sensible enough to handle that type of responsibility.
But I wouldn’t trust my youngest son in the same way. He’s a good boy for the most part, but at 15, he is still a child in the way he acts and the way he thinks. I’m fairly confident he wouldn’t misuse a firearm, but not quite confident enough that I’d want him to have access to one if I wasn’t around.
Now I live in Australia, so the law doesn’t give me any choice on this anyway - I can’t allow a minor to access one of my firearms unless I’m present and I have to keep the weapons secured. He does have a junior firearms licence (which allows him to use a gun in my presence or that of another licenced adult actively supervising him) and I have taught him how to handle a firearm carefully and safely and to use it appropriately, but at his age and level of maturity I regard those skills as backup tome actively supervising him - I intend to prevent him acting unsafely but if I, for some reason, am not there I want him to know what to do.
When he gets a little older, I’ll expect him to be primarily responsible with me as the backup, and further on, he won’t need me as backup (well, no more than I’d expect any man to look out for the safety of those around them), but at the moment, I’m Dad, he’s a child and I will give him the freedom and responsibility he’s ready for and reserve to myself that which he isn’t ready for.
All this is a long way of saying, you have to know the kid. If you’re not sure your son will be ready at 15 to have access to the gun safe, then as a parent you are definitely right to restrict that access regardless of any other factors.
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