Elderly woman shoots 12 year old in self defense (Merged)

[retsupt99]

I'm glad the elderly woman was not hurt, but I'm sure these little dirtbags will be offering a return visit to her. Discipline them when they're little and this crap won't happen.OMOYMV

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[automatic slim]

I'm just surprised that she was not charged for possessing a gun in the city of no self defense. Maybe Chicago PD hasn't realized it yet. Surely that bozo Dailey will condemn the woman and proclaim the thug a "victim".

[Hopyard]

Right or wrong, when the LEO's don't do anything but take him down town then release him. And the justice system does not convince them that their anti social behavior will cost them dearly. Sooner or later someone will take the law into their own hands. Sounds like it was just a matter of who and when. Reading the article, they were know and regularly reported/picked up for this stuff. Play big boy games win big boy prizes. Or like I used to tell the kids I worked with, "You want to act like a man, expect to get treated like one."

Chief, I understand where you are coming from but mere frustration and anger doesn't justify shooting. The lady did have
avenues for redress.

By analogy, we had a gang ( I suppose) shooting in town the other day. Man stood outside a home and fired a shotgun into the house. Someone wrote a comment to the TV station's bulletin board that the shooter was "just retaliating" for what was done to him and he should be left alone. Duh, that is the same attitude --but a bit more extreme-- as the one you put forth above. Both are saying well the police can't handle it so it is justified that someone takes matters into their own hands.

That sort of thinking leads to some pretty dang awful chaos.

Emotionally I am with the woman on this one. How dare the little punks do that and "I'm gonna put a stop to it." But as a practical matter it doesn't seem like a justifiable shooting.

We often have discussions here in which everyone seems to agree that you don't shoot a fleeing thief because they are no longer a danger to you.

The story is too think to know what actually happened, but if they threw something into the window and were fleeing, the shooting was not justified. Now, if they came back and were trying to get in through the broken window, that would be different. Or perhaps if they came back and she saw them about to throw something at her, not property, that would be different.

[Nino Brown]

I agree that the kid(s) were in the wrong for what they did. I am all for each individual having the right to protect themselves. Based on the story, I can't see how this was a justifiable shoot. Another call in to the police would seem to be the right action to take. There was no direct threat on the life of the elderly woman inside her house and the kids on the sidewalk or street throwing bricks.

Change the scenario and say that a 30 year old man was the shooter. Do you think under the same circumstances this would be a justifiable shoot?

[paramedic70002]

Not a good shoot but the LEOs are giving her a pass so I suspect there's a lot more unreported. No he should not have been shot for his crimes, there was no reasonable self defense as described, but that kid and his buddies (and their parental units) certainly need a good thrashing followed by a little adult jail time.

[Islandp229]

"Elizabeth Matthews says Margaret was hit by one of the bricks the boy allegedly threw through the window."

what about her being hit by one of the bricks thrown, what weight does that have on the shooting and the call to protect herself?
just interrested on hearing views with this in mind

[ctsketch]

elderly woman hit with bricks = lethal ..hell anyone get hit with a brick = lethal

[Janq]

I still feel it's an item of had to be there too close to call, Island.

I'm going to trust that the investigating police know all the facts and made the right call here.

- Janq

[pgrass101]

Seeing how a detective lived across the street and the previous history with the kid, I will go with what the police conclueded

[packinnova]

IMHO this is a tough call, even as going by the senior citizens statements 100% as reported.

As to the boys statement to family that he was just walking by _"on the street"_, my first thought then is how did this woman hit him at all?
She's aged and with that comes inaccuracy.
Her home even if it were fronting right up to the sidewalk/street would still be roughly 15' speaking to norms away and she if even standing directly in the window amid broken glass or at her open door would have to make a distant shot and hit on the first attempt at that...All the while being aged in the physical (muscle tremors and poorer than 20/20 vision).

I'm disinclined to believe the story of the child. It's not impossible, but is least probable.
Still though shooting a person (age is of no regard here) I'm not convinced that was the right never mind best choice.

- Janq

The bolded I would think would all be verifiable as to the actual facts via ballistics evidence among other things no? Angles of trajectory, basic geometry etc...

[Hopyard]

"Elizabeth Matthews says Margaret was hit by one of the bricks the boy allegedly threw through the window."

what about her being hit by one of the bricks thrown, what weight does that have on the shooting and the call to protect herself?
just interrested on hearing views with this in mind

None. It is the same situation as shooting someone who is fleeing from your home.

I read this elsewhere today. You have a right to self-defense. You don't have a right to retaliation.

[BikerRN]

All I have to say on this matter, while the technicalities of the law are not foremost in my mind regarding this case:

WAY TO GO GRANNY!!!

Biker

[EB31]

With what's reported about this kid terrorizing the neighborhood, breaking windows, setting garbage on fire etc....he got what he deserved. Hopefully he realizes how lucky he is to be alive and changes...though I wouldn't hold my breath. Nor will I hold my breath for the parent to step up to the plate and take control of their little animal. If he was doing all those things at 12....no reason to believe anything will change.

Way to go granny lady! She had enough of being terrorized and when faced with "imminent danger" from potential blunt force from the bricks flying through her window....she took action.


Only thing I would have never said....she said she was just trying to scare them away when she fired. That's a no-no imo.

[ccw9mm]

misdemeanor aggravated assault

What the heck is that ... a misdemeanor, for aggravated assault? I suppose since nobody was actually harmed, that distinguishes it from an actual hands-on type deal.

Tossing bricks at others, terrorizing them in their own homes. Sounds like little Johnny's going down a sad, ugly, lonely road. He'd better shape up, else he's likely to find himself toes-up in a gutter at some point, stopped permanently by someone tired of his crap.

[BlueNinjaGo]

I would not recommend ANYONE do what she did. I would never shoot (or even draw) in that situation. That being said, if she ever does get charged, she'd want me on her jury.