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

[quincy07]

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/elderly...2.1936778.html

No charges to be filed

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[IWLAFART]

I feel sorry for the parents but if the boy was terrorizing the area. It is as much the parents fault as anyone for not controlling their child. I hope the elderly woman bounces back from a scary situation.

[alachner]

Well, that's what you get for bullying an elder woman who is armed and not afraid to use it. Grandma 1 - Punk Kid 0!!!!

[JOHNSMITH]

Tough situation. I hope the old lady comes back from this as well.

[SpencerB]

Yep I agree, the parents get their fair share of blame, control your kid and he won't get shot for acting like a fool.

[Janq]

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

[Hopyard]

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

Hmmm. It sort of boils down to whom the police choose to believe. I can see it both ways. Not sure this was true SD. If the boys are known little terrors in the neighborhood she should have been able to identify them to the police for the rock throwing.

[pinklady]

Sounds like he is a punk and the parents are in denial.

[hayzor]

Somebody should be charged as an adult – If the kid isn’t, the parents should be charged for the vandalism.
Neither parents or kid are getting any sympathy from me.

[lance22]

I wish it had a happy ending. Something tells me that the little punks and their friends will be visiting her.

[tkruf]

Sounds like his parents didn't give a rat's *** where he is, or what he does with his time. They are partly to blame here as far as I see it.

[21bubba]

Not enough details. Was she on the other side of the window? When she went to look was he or his buddy ready to throw again? Are the neighbors to believed in regards to boy's prior actions? Why haven't the police been involved prior?

Right now he is an angel, or a little thug that almost got what he deserved.

P.S. I forgot, call 911 and be a good witness.

[ctsketch]

Nothing happy about this one

[TheShadow]

Yep I agree, the parents get their fair share of blame, control your kid and he won't get shot for acting like a fool.

What parents?

His grandmother:

"He and his friend were walking down the street, and they saw a window broken at a woman's house, and as they passed by, they said she came out shooting," said the boy's grandmother, Donna Virges.

Who the hell lets a twelve year old child roam the streets at 11:00 PM in inner city Chicago?

This little hoodlum needs to be in DSS custody for protection from his neglectful grandmother!

[chiefjason]

Hmmm. It sort of boils down to whom the police choose to believe. I can see it both ways. Not sure this was true SD. If the boys are known little terrors in the neighborhood she should have been able to identify them to the police for the rock throwing.

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."