17-year old Allentown boy shot to death in his bed

Kareem Fedd, age 17

17-year old Kareem Fedd was asleep in his Allentown, Pennsylvania home when an intruder apparently entered through an open window and shot him multiple times, killing Kareem, before escaping.

From an article:

"It seemed to me he was shot sleeping," Sabbagh said this morning, still appearing slightly dazed. "It was a shock." 

Kareem Fedd, 17, was pronounced dead 4:23 a.m. at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, according to Allentown police Assistant Chief Joe Hanna. 

Police have not identified any suspects or a motive. Hanna said Friday night police are confident the incident was not random.

Sabbagh said Fedd's bed was next a window, which the boy's mother told him had been left open. He believes the shooter accessed it via a fire escape.

Gang involvement is suspected by the police, as also suggested by the photo (hand signals and the necklace).

(a related page with photo)
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15-year old Allentown boy shoots and paralyzes 18-year old and is also wounded

A 15-year old boy in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Amir Featherson, is accused of shooting and paralyzing an 18-year old young man, Joseph Ortiz.

The shooter was also injured in a shooting, but it is unclear how or by whom.

From an article:

Amir Featherson is accused of shooting Joseph Ortiz in the back on Aug. 22 in the 500 block of North New Street, leaving the victim paralyzed and unable to move his legs, police said. 

Featherson himself was also shot at the scene, but Allentown police Captain Daryl Hendricks could not say whether the wounds were self-inflicted or if someone else shot him. 

Featherson has been charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault, records say, as well as reckless endangerment, possession of a firearm by a minor and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. 

Ortiz was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment of serious injuries after the shooting, but police said he was expected to survive. 

Featherson, who police found after they responded to the crime scene, was also taken to an area hospital for treatment of "moderate" injuries, police said. 

Ortiz told police he was sitting in his car, parked at North New Street, when he heard several gunshots moments before he was shot, police said.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

3-year old Texas boy gets unsecured, loaded gun and shoots grandfather in back

A 3-year old boy in Laredo, Texas, was able to get hold of a loaded, unsecured handgun and shot his grandfather in the lower back.  Luckily, the wound was non-life-threatening.

From an article:

Laredo fire Capt. Eloy Vega tells the Laredo Morning Times (http://bit.ly/OKxhsW) that the 47-year-old man was in stable condition at Laredo Medical Center after the 2:40 p.m. Tuesday shooting at the man's home. Laredo police spokesman Joe Baeza (bah-AY'-zah) says described the injury as a non-life-threatening flesh wound. 

Baeza says the child apparently found a small-caliber handgun under a pillow or a mattress. He said suspicion turned toward the child after he complained of wrist pain and having scorch marks on his hands.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/29/4769886/laredo-police-boy-3-shoots-grandfather.html#storylink=cpy

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

15-year old Chicago boy engaged in gun battle with cop; both wounded

A 15-year old boy was with friends in Chicago when they were stopped by a policeman for suspicious activity.  The boy and the officer both pulled their guns and a shootout ensued, with both the boy and officer wounded.

From an article:

About 8 p.m., plain-clothes officers stopped three teenage boys for “suspicious activity,” police said. But the 15-year-old boy fired at the officers and “engaged in a gun battle,” said Police Supt. Garry McCarthy. 

But at least two residents said the officer shot his gun first. 

The teen was in serious condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. 

The officer, a five-year veteran and member of the department’s Area South gun team, was “in good shape” at the same hospital. McCarthy said the officer was joking with him before going into surgery. 

The officer was “very fortunate,” “in pain” and “annoyed,” McCarthy added.
Police detained the other two boys — 15 and 16. 

Officers recovered a 380 automatic weapon on the scene, said McCarthy, who added several shots were fired.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

12-year old boy seriously injured by pellet gun shot by friend

A 12-year old boy in Syracuse, New York, is in serious condition and must undergo surgery after being shot in the spleen with a pellet gun by a friend.

From an article:

A 12-year-old is seriously injured after being shot with a pellet gun. Syracuse Police said it happened at 200 Evaleen Avenue around 5:00 pm on Wednesday. 

They said the victim was playing with friends when one of them went inside, got a pellet gun and shot the victim at close range. The pellet hit the boy under his arm and became lodged in his spleen. It was surgically removed. 

The injuries are considered serious, but not life-threatening. The suspect is not being identified due to his age.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

17-year old Washington girl shot and killed in home by intruder

Amber Deanna Stanley, age 17

A 17-year old girl, Amber Deanna Stanley, was asleep in her Kettering, Washington when an intruder entered the home and shot her several times, killing her, then escaped.  No suspect has been found.  No known motive has been released.

From an article:

A 17-year-old Prince George’s County honor student who aspired to attend Harvard University was killed in her bedroom after a gunman burst into her house, police said Thursday — a crime considered unthinkable to residents who remembered the girl for her ambition and intellect. 

The shooting occurred at about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday inside a split-level home on a quiet street of single-family houses in the Kettering neighborhood. Detectives are investigating a report that the gunman came through the front door, made his way into the house in the 100 block of Chartsey Street and shot Amber Deanna Stanley. 

Other family members were inside during the ordeal, but police said they fled at some point. Officials on Thursday had no suspect description and did not speculate about a motive.
Amber was a senior at Charles H. Flowers High School, where officials described her as well-liked and scholarly and said she planned to become a doctor. 

“She had the grades, SAT scores and the attitude to attend any college in this country and succeed,” Flowers High School Principal Gorman Brown said. 

Amber was among 500 students enrolled in an advanced science and technology magnet program. Her death took an especially hard toll on the 100 or so seniors in the program with whom she attended classes for the past three years, Mr. Brown said. Grief counselors were on hand Thursday, just the fourth day of the school year, to talk with students and staff.

....
Police spokesman Cpl. Larry Johnson confirmed that officers responded to Amber’s home Aug. 17 for a report of an assault. No arrests were made in that case, and no further details about the incident were immediately available. 

Police officials could not say Thursday whether the reported assault and Amber’s death might be connected. 

Residents who live on Chartsey Street were shocked at both the violence and the victim, who many said was reserved and never appeared to be involved in any trouble in the neighborhood. 

“She was a real quiet girl,” neighbor Earnestine Bates said. 

Several residents said Amber kept to herself. 

Online, Amber appeared outgoing, making daily posts to a Twitter account that broadcast snippets of her life to more than 2,000 followers. Among her recent posts were musings about boys, pictures of cupcakes she baked for the first day of school and accounts of a recent fight with her foster sibling.

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Grandfather caught with loaded handgun at school after confrontation

A grandfather got into an argument with a student in the parking lot of Pattonville High School, in Pattonville, Missouri, after his granddaughter was in a car accident there, and verbally threatened the student.  When authorities investigated, they found that the grandfather had a loaded handgun in his car, against school policy.  Luckily, the argument had not escalated to the point where he threatened the student with it.

From an article:

Police arrested the grandfather of a Pattonville High School student after an argument in the parking lot this afternoon. 

According to Pattonville school district officials, the grandfather came to the school and verbally threatened a student after his granddaughter got into a car accident in the parking lot. 

The Maryland Heights police arrested the man after officers discovered the grandfather was carrying a loaded handgun. Although he made a threat against the student, he never showed the handgun to the student or flourished it in any way, officials said. Weapons are not permitted on campus, even for those with legal conceal-carry permits.

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Two teens killed along with mother in Virginia by 19-year old brother in murder/suicide

Lily Romando

Three people were found dead in an Albemarle County, Virginia home, and a fourth died in the hospital, in what appears to be a murder/suicide.

19-year old Noah Philip Romando apparently shot to death his mother, Elizabeth Walton, and his two younger siblings, Lily Romando and Andrew Romando, whose ages have not been released.

A motive or any information regarding the firearm have not yet been released.

From an article:

Andrew Romando

Noah Romando was remembered by friends Thursday as a happy young man, who apparently showed no signs of distress before the crime. According to his Facebook page, Romando was a 2011 graduate of Albemarle High School who worked at Harris Teeter and was attending Piedmont Virginia Community College.
....
Lily was an avid photographer and her memorial was decorated with signatures of friends and fellow students, as well as copies of her photographs tied to lilies.

Holding a film camera a student donated in her memory, photography teacher Susan Oliveri remembered a bright student who took to the craft quickly.

“She started photography in ninth grade and she was very enthusiastic and excited and sometimes that doesn’t last, but it lasted with her and it became her passion,” Oliveri said. “She had a bright smile, and every day she was so enthusiastic and the kids used to joke with me and say ‘Well, she’s your favorite.’”

....

Facebook groups sprang up Wednesday and Thursday memorializing both Lily and Andrew Romando. Lily Romando had a remembrance page that appeared to be exclusively maintained by former campers and counselors from the Camp Alleghany girls’ summer camp in West Virginia.

A search of Noah Romando’s name on Facebook turned up a private personal page. Remembrances of Noah Romando appeared on a second memorial page created for his sister and on the website of a group called the Satanic International Network.

County schools spokesman Phil Giaramita said the Romando children had attended Stony Point Elementary, Sutherland Middle School and Albemarle High School. The youngest brother, Andrew, was an eighth-grader at Sutherland this year.

“They were both very good students, and [Andrew] was very well-liked at Sutherland,” Giaramita said of the two younger Romandos. “It was just horrible, inexplicable really. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.”

(a related article)
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Rural Minnesota boy struck by stray bullet

An 8 year old boy in rural Minnesota was hit by a bullet that ricocheted from a gun shot by his brother. From the article:

According to a news release from Meeker County Sheriff Jeff Norlin, the Sheriff’s office received a 911 call around 12:45 p.m. Thursday afternoon from Peter Wuollet, who lives along the 73000 block of County Road 6 in Collinwood Township. The call reported that their son had been accidentally shot in the head with a black powder .44-caliber handgun by a sibling. The bullet had ricocheted off the ground and then hit the boy in the head.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

11-year old Washington girl and mother shot to death by father

Violet Holmes, age 11

Dean Holmes, 40, was facing financial problems.  He then took out his frustrations by shooting to death his wife, Kristi Holmes, while his daughter, 11-year old Violet Holmes and one of her friends slept in another room.  He then took his daughter and her friend out to drop off the friend at her home, then shot his daughter to death, too, while in the car.  He then stopped for fast food before going home and spending hours trying to clean the crime scenes.  Eventually he turned himself in to police and confessed his crime.

From an article:

According to detectives, Holmes shot and killed his wife in her sleep on Tues., Aug. 28 and then woke up Violet and her friend, who was sleeping over. He drove his daughter's young friend back to her Auburn home then drove around with Violet in the car before shooting and killing her inside of it. 

Detectives say he then stopped at a fast food restaurant, bought a meal and took his daughter's body home and placed her in bed with his dead wife. After several hours of attempting to clean up the evidence, he turned himself in at the Pierce County Jail. 

According to the Department of Revenue, Holmes owed more than $18,000 in unpaid back taxes for his painting business. He had financial issues, was lying to his wife and had at least one unhappy customer in Puyallup after he left a job unfinished, according to multiple sources.

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15-year old San Francisco boy fatally shot after pointing gun at officer

Derrick Gaines, age 15

On June 5 of this year, a 15-year old boy, Derrick Gaines, was "acting suspiciously" at a gas station in South San Francisco, along with another boy.  A police officer arrived.  The boy pulled a gun from his waist and pointed it at the police officer.  The officer responded by shooting the boy and fatally wounding him.

The police officer has been cleared and the shooting has been ruled as justified.

The boy had had run-ins with the police in the past.

From an article:

Around 9 p.m. Tuesday, an officer came across two pedestrians in the 2300 block of Westborough Boulevard who were allegedly acting suspicious, police Capt. Mike Brosnan said at a news conference Wednesday.

When asked to stop, one of the two juveniles complied while the other did not and allegedly produced a firearm from his waistband, Brosnan said.

The officer then determined it was a dangerous situation and shot the boy.

The officer and other personnel who had been called to the area administered CPR and other live-saving efforts before the boy was taken to a hospital, where he died, Brosnan said.

There was danger to the nearby businesses and patrons at the ARCO gas station when the boy refused to comply with police and produced a weapon, Brosnan said.

“SSFPD is not accustomed to this sort of behavior,” Brosnan said.

The weapon the boy had is in police custody and the suspect’s companion was not detained, he said.

The captain also said the suspects were known to police and that the officer had initiated contact with the two boys.

 Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.
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4-year old Georgia girl finds unsecured, loaded gun in minivan and shoots self with it

A 4-year old girl in Clayton County, Georgia, is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries.  She or one of her siblings found a loaded, unsecured gun in her parents' minivan and discharged it, hitting the 4-year old.  The girl was taken to surgery.

Three of the girl's young siblings were also in the car at the time, along with their mother, but they escaped injury.

From an article:

A mother and her four young children were traveling in a minivan on Jonesboro Road. The woman tells police she heard a loud “pop” and turned around.

"Her four-year old daughter was slumped over in her car seat with a gunshot wound,” said Windley.

The little girl was airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston with life-threatening injuries.

Windley says investigators are now trying to figure out where the gun was in the car and who pulled the trigger. Above all, he said, this sad event is further proof that kids and guns can be a tragic combination.

According to another article:

Windley identified the mother as Vera Harmon of Jonesboro. He said Harmon, 34, had three of her other children, two boys ages three and 12 along with a 7-year-old girl, in the minivan at the time of the shooting.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

13-year old Phoenix boy fires handgun next to elementary school

A 13-year old boy who had been suspended from school in Phoenix, Arizona, fired a handgun into the air when he was approached by school staff.  Luckily, no one was injured.  More guns were found in his back yard.

From an article:

A 13-year-old student fired a handgun near a Phoenix elementary school near 38th Avenue and Roeser Road about noon Monday after the student was suspended August 21 for behavioral issues, officials said. There were no reports of injuries. 

On Friday, the boy went to Maurice C. Cash Elementary School, which has students from kindergarten through eighth grade, but personnel were able to get him to leave because he was suspended, according to Phoenix police. 

The student returned again Monday afternoon. While waiting for lunch hour, a member of the school approached the teenager. 

The boy fired two to four rounds into the air near the school property, said Sgt. Trent Crump, a Phoenix Police Department spokesman. No one was injured, officials said. 

The boy ran into the backyard of his nearby home. Police were able to get into the backyard after convincing the residents to allow them in. Police took the boy into custody. Authorities found more firearms in the backyard, Crump said. 

The school was briefly put on lock down.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

Chicago teens write about violence and urge change

Chicago teens are urging the mayor and police superintendent to do something to reduce violence, particularly gun violence, in their city.  Many share their particular experiences, and, according to the article, are entering a college writing program with an emphasis in reducing violence.

From the article:

For the last two years, the Columbia College’s Columbia Links writing program, intended for high-school students, has seen more and more teen applicants come in wanting to explore the topic of violence in their neighborhoods. 

“They’re asked on the application what issue facing Chicago teens they’d like to focus on. Overwhelmingly, it was violence,” Executive Director Brenda Butler said. 

They’d be diverted — to topics like teen joblessness and attributes of rap music. 

But this bloody summer, with murders up 27 percent, most of the teens insisted. 

“It has become so much a part of their lives it can’t be ignored. So we said, ‘Go ahead.’ The result was poignant, revealing, candid and uncensored,” says Butler. 

“Don’t Shoot. I Want to Grow Up,” is a compilation of letters and essays addressed to Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Supt. Garry McCarthy that the students hope to give them as their summer program heads toward a closing ceremony Thursday. 

A mayoral spokesman said a meeting with McCarthy is being arranged for the teens. 

“I want to tell them how I now hate going on social networks because it might be someone me or my friends know, killed in gun violence,” said Diamond Trusty, 16, of Humboldt Park, a junior at Prosser Career Academy where Dantril Brown attended. 

“You log on to Twitter, and it’s always, ‘R.I.P. trending.’ Someone else gone.” 

One student, Raymond Roundtree, 17, of Bronzeville, a sophomore at Options Laboratory High School, writes he and his friends now call Chicago “Chi-raq.” 

For young black males, it may as well be war-torn Iraq. “I have been jumped, been pushed to fight, and have been robbed. ...I became immune to violence,” he writes.

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17-year old boy killed and 15-year old girl wounded in separate Chicago shootings

From an article:

While five people have been killed and at least another 36 wounded in shootings in Chicago since Thursday night, police Supt. Garry McCarthy sees the police department’s anti-violence strategy taking root, though he notes police are “basically treading water” in their efforts to stem the tide of violence. 

In a press conference Saturday afternoon touting a crackdown on two South Side drug markets, McCarthy said he sees the police department’s anti-violence strategy taking root. 

“We’re not winning, we’re not losing. We’re basically treading water,” McCarthy said. He said that in the month of August, “we had some trouble because some of these retaliatory shootings are happening quicker than we can stop them.”
....
A 17-year-old boy who was fatally wounded about 5:42 p.m. Friday in the South Side Grand Crossing neighborhood. 

The boy and a 42-year-old woman were standing outside in the 7900 block of South Drexel Avenue when someone riding a mountain bike fired shots at them, police said. Bullets hit the boy in the face and abdomen and the woman suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh. 

Paramedics took the boy to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where he was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. 

The woman was taken in good condition to Stroger Hospital, police said. 

Police said the motive for the shooting remained unclear, as witnesses were uncooperative with Area South detectives.
....
A 15-year-old girl who was allegedly smoking marijuana with a teenaged boy in the Far South Side Roseland neighborhood was critically wounded in what appeared to be an accidental shooting, police said. 

Shortly before 7 p.m., the girl was allegedly smoking pot with a teenage boy in the 0 to 100 block of West 112th Street, police said. The boy moved a gun, which fired and shot the girl in the chest, police said. 

Paramedics took the girl to the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital at 6:59 p.m., where she was listed in critical condition, authorities said. Detectives were questioning the boy.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

5 teen boys among injured in mass shooting spree in Chicago

Two gunmen went on a shooting spree in Chicago's South Side, injuring eight people and leaving a trail of blood and bullet holes.  Among the injured were five teen boys.

From an article:

A trail of blood from the car led police to the motel, where police suspected the gunmen may have been in a first-floor room. SWAT officers were summoned to the scene and a helicopter hovered over the motel, shining a light onto the building. 

Police entered the room after a few hours and recovered a few guns, but found no one inside, authorities said. 

Police are searching for the two gunmen and possibly a third person in the car, authorities said, adding that one of them may have been shot. Investigators were looking at surveillance video from the motel. 

An Emergency Medical Services Plan 1 was called for the shooting, sending six ambulances to the scene. The Chicago Fire Department took five of the wounded to hospitals, and the other three either went on their own or were given rides to hospitals. 

The wounded included: 

• A 19-year-old woman walking to work was shot in the arm and taken to Stroger Hospital. 

• Two 14-year-old boys were stable. One was shot in the arm and taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, and the other was shot in the foot and taken to Children’s Memorial Hospital, police said. 

• A 15-year-old boy was shot in the back of the neck and taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, and a 16-year-old boy was shot in the foot and treated at Advocate Trinity Hospital. A second 16-year-old boy was shot twice in the leg and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital. 

• A 20-year-old was taken to Stroger Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg, along with a 28-year-old who remained in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the chest.

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17-year old boy shot on first day of school by 15-year old boy

Daniel Borowy, age 17.

A 17-year old male student, named Daniel Borowy, is in critical condition after a 15-year old boy, Robert Wayne Gladden, brought a loaded shotgun to the first day of school and opened fire in the cafeteria, in a high school in Perry Hall, Maryland, hitting Daniel in the back.  Luckily, a school counselor reacted quickly and tackled the boy, with only one other shot being fired.  The shooter is now in custody.

From an article:

Sophomore Nick DiPaula said it was almost the end of his lunch period when he heard a loud bang near him in the cafeteria and he and a friend turned around to see what it was. 

"We just see him with the gun and he's aiming it at my table," DiPaula, 15, said. 

A school counselor he identified as Jesse Wasmer ran over and tackled the gunman, DiPaula said, as he and other students hit the floor and another teacher started yelling, "Get out of the building, get out of the building!" 

Police said they do not believe the victim was targeted. 

It was "overwhelming," said Julia Schoennagel, 14, a freshman. "It was my first day, and I was excited to meet my teachers and see who was in my classes," she said. "It was unreal, I couldn't believe it. You never think that would happen at your school." 

Schoennagel and others described the first shot as sounding like the pop of air from a bag of chips being popped open, or a door slamming shut. But when they looked in the direction of the sound, they saw smoke from a gun in the hands of another student. 

Police said the student entered the cafeteria shortly before 10:45 a.m., removed a weapon that he had concealed and discharged it. The police have the weapon, but have not confirmed the kind of gun.

Shooter Robert Wayne Gladden, Jr., age 15

(a related article)

From another related article:

You never forget the first day of high school.  After today, that's an understatement for Perry Hall freshmen Jared Gos and Kelsea Burke. 

"The counselor pushed the boy up against the wall and he pointed the gun up in the air and shot it and that's when everyone like bolted out of the cafeteria," said Burke.   

From a related article: The shooter, Robert Gladden, claims he brought the shotgun to school to intimidate bullies and that it went off by accident.  He also, apparently, had vodka with him.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

UPDATE (8/29/12):  The gun came from the home of his father. The shooter was stopped by school staff when they tackled him; no gun needed to stop this shooting. From the article:  

"But let this episode also be a reminder that guns of all types are best held by responsible adults under lock and key. A 15-year-old should no more have unfettered access to a shotgun than to a motor vehicle or stick of dynamite. The emotional turmoil that is adolescence is uncertain enough without bringing firearms or other deadly weapons into the fray. The gun in question was allegedly taken from Mr. Gladden's father's home."

From another article about this shooting:

No one answered the door Monday evening at the home of the alleged shooter's mother. A sign at the house said, "We don't call 911" and had a carved relief of a gun.

UPDATE (8/29/12):  Gladden will be charged as an adult.  The victim, Daniel, has Down's Syndrome and is well-loved by his classmates.  From the article:

Borowy, a 17-year-old special-education student at Perry Hall, is well-known for his welcoming waves, high-fives and other friendly interactions, classmates said. He remained in critical condition Wednesday morning at Maryland Shock Trauma Center. 

The Monday shooting led to a lockdown and then early dismissal at the Baltimore County school on the first day of classes. Robert Wayne Gladden Jr., 15, was charged as an adult Tuesday with attempted murder and assault. 

Friends of the family and fellow students described Borowy as passionate about soccer and Lady Gaga and quick to make friends. Classmates rallied behind Borowy on Tuesday, wearing T-shirts and posting signs outside the school that read “Pray for Daniel,” gathering at an early-morning vigil around the school’s flagpole and sharing via social media a plea to get the pop singer to visit the teen.

UPDATE (2/19/13):  The shooter, Robert Gladden, has entered a guilty plea.  From an article:

Robert Gladden Jr., 15, entered the plea to the adult charge on the day his trial was scheduled to begin in Baltimore County Circuit Court. Judge Robert Cahill Jr. accepted the plea and agreed to a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Sentencing was scheduled for Monday. 

Gladden also pleaded guilty to using a firearm in a crime of violence. Both counts involved 17-year-old Daniel Borowy, who was hit in the back with a shotgun blast Aug. 27, the first day of classes at Perry Hall High School. Borowy, who has Down syndrome, missed more than two months of school while recuperating from his injuries. 

Gladden had been charged as an adult with 29 offenses, including nine counts of attempted first-degree murder. The other alleged victims included the students sitting at a lunch table with Borowy and the school employees who wrestled the shotgun away from the teen, authorities said. 

Gladden gave mostly one-word answers to questions from the judge about his willingness to plead guilty, keeping his head slightly bowed with his long, reddish-brown hair slightly obscuring his face. His mother and a few other supporters sobbed and wiped their eyes as the teen entered his plea. 

Borowy's family was not in the courtroom. Milton Borowy, Daniel's father, said in a telephone interview Monday that he was pleased a plea deal had been reached. 

"At least the admission of guilt is finally there," he said, later adding: "It's good to know that he is going to pay for his crime." 

Milton Borowy said his son is close to 100 percent healed, but he still has nightmares once or twice a week.

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13 year old Brooklyn boy shot in back

Ronald Wallace, Jr., age 13

It's sad that kids can't walk in their neighborhoods without being shot in the back. Ronald Wallace is dead after a gunshot hit him in the back while walking to the grocery store. Here is the article:

Ronald Wallace Jr. was shot once in the back at the corner of Tapscott Street and Blake Avenue in Brownsville shortly before 1 a.m. He died on the way to the hospital, police said.

Wallace’s devastated family told NBC 4 New York the aspiring basketball player was on his way to the store when he was shot and they have no idea who is responsible.

Wallace was set to enter high school in the fall.

“My son was a good kid, wasn’t involved in gang stuff,” his grief-stricken mother Tiffany Orr said. “That didn’t deserve to happen to him, too much violence going on. That was my baby.”

Wallace’s little brother, Raquan, called the shooting “crazy” and said he would ensure Ronald’s legacy lived on.

“Now I have to follow in his dreams, be what he wanted to be,” Raquan Wallace said.

The boy’s father, wearing his son’s basketball jersey and holding a recently earned trophy in his hand, said he hoped the killer would spend life in jail.

Police said a black revolver was recovered at the scene, police said.

Bullets don't know where to stop.

ADDENDUM (8/27/12):  From a related article:

Several dozen gathered to remember Ronald Wallace, Jr. who was shot in the back around 1 a.m. His grandmother, 52-year-old Jackie Thornton said he was on his way to the store get something to eat but he never came home. 

The avid basketball player was supposed to start Queens Richmond Hill High School in the fall as a freshman. Several of his elaborate basketball trophies crowded a shelf in the family's living room. 

The teen was also lovingly remembered by friends for his goofier side.  Fifteen-year-old Ebony Deets, who grew up with Wallace, said he would often go to great lengths to cheer her up. "If you would be moping around, he'd pull the ugliest faces to you smile. And if you were hurt, he would try to comfort you to make you feel better," Deets remembered.

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Illinois police suggest storing guns in schools to be ready for school shootings

Some Illinois police officers think that storing guns in schools is a good idea to defend against a school shooter. What do you think? From the article:

Plainfield Police Chief John Konopek wants officers regularly assigned to district high schools to be allowed to keep an AR 15 semi-automatic rifle under lock and key in school offices so they are better prepared to handle school shootings, if the situation were to arise.

School officers will be the only ones able to access the weapons, NBC Chicago reports. Konopek notes that training exercises have shown that officers are "much better equipped to handle this type of incident" while using a long gun -- with greater range, accuracy and stopping power -- versus a handgun.

"Unfortunately, in today's society, active shooter incidents are no longer something we see on TV," Konopek said in a statement according to the station. "They are reality."

Konopek notes that a rifle inside the school merely increases an officer's access to firearms as necessary. Patrol officers keep a rifle in their squad cars.

"It's a very sad statement about society, but we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't [prepare for a worst-case scenario]," Konopek told the Joliet Herald-News.

District spokesperson Tom Hernandez has said that the school board is willing to consider the request, and a vote is planned for Monday, according to the Sun-Times Media Wire.

The request to store guns has been made for Plainfield Central Campus, Plainfield East, Plainfield North and Plainfield Academy, CBS Chicago reports.

While one board member told WLS-TV that he can support the idea, some Plainfield residents are concerned it sends the wrong message -- and carries risks.

"What's the likelihood of an innocent party being shot and killed if they do use the gun?" Plainfield resident Brian Wilson told WLS-TV. "I'm just completely opposed to guns in the school at all."

But, also from the article, school shooters are sometimes stopped by other means:

The proposal in Plainfield comes after a February shooting at Chardon High School in northeast Ohio. Three students died and two others were injured after 17-year-old Thomas "T.J." Lane opened fire in the school cafeteria just before classes started in the morning.

The shooting came to an end when the school's assistant basketball coach and study hall teacher Frank Hall chased the teen out of the building.

Do you think it's a good idea to store assault type guns in schools to stop school shooters?

 

7 year old Connecticut boy accidentally shoots neighbor

There is an unanswered question in this incident that will likely come to light. How did a 7 year old Connecticut boy get his hands on his neighbor's gun and then accidentally shoot him in the chest? From the article:

State Police said the 7-year-old boy accidentally shot his 51-year-old neighbor Anthony Joseph Delucia, in the upper chest.

Police said the shooting appears to be accidental, and the weapon used appears to be a small caliber handgun legally registered to Delucia.

Delucia was taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury.

He is being treated for non-life threatening injuries and his condition is stable. 

From another article:

According to Mayor Robert J. Chatfield, Delucia is the town's local trash man.

"He is loved by everyone in town," said Chatfield.

State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said he believes no charges will be filed and the investigation is still ongoing.

One more article:

Non-life threatening injuries for a Prospect man who was accidentally shot in the chest by a seven-year-old boy and neighbor. The boy apparently got a hold of Anthony Delucia’s, 52, handgun at Delucia’s home at 13 Summit Road, Prospect, and fired a shot.

Delucia was wounded, taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury and is reportedly in stable condition.

He did have a permit for the handgun used in the accident, which remains under investigation.

 Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

Man with AR-15 assault rifle threatens group with children over road rage incident

A man in Ledyard, Connecticut, was pulling out of his driveway when another man in a white Cadillac nearly hit him.  The man came back later and pointed his AR-15 assault rifle out of the window at the group, which included a number of children.  The police were called and the man was arrested, his assault rifle at his side.

From an article:

Kevin Kovalik said Monday he was among the group that Richmond threatened around 5:20 p.m. Sunday. Kovalik said he was pulling out of his mother's driveway and was almost sideswiped by Richmond's white Cadillac at the intersection of Shewville Road and Whitford Road after Richmond drove through a stop sign. An argument ensued, Kovalik said, before Richmond drove away. Kovalik said at the time, a large group, including his three children, were in the front yard of his mother's house, next to the intersection.

Kovalik said he called police because of Richmond's erratic driving.

According to a prosecutor's report, Richmond returned to the scene a short time later and pointed the gun out the window as he drove by the house.

"Several children were present and saw the barrel of the rifle pointed at them," Officer Rick McSwain wrote in his report.

After a second 911 call came in about Richmond, McSwain located Richmond's vehicle and followed it into the parking lot of the Pumpkin Hill Market. He ordered Richmond to stay in the car, but, the report said, Richmond exited the vehicle and walked toward the store.

"I drew my weapon and ordered the operator to stop and get on the ground to which he complied," McSwain wrote.

After Richmond was apprehended, police found a Stag Arms AR-15 223 caliber rifle in plain view on the backseat of the car. The weapon was unloaded, police said, but a single 223-caliber round was on the floor of the car and a magazine inserted in the weapon. In a statement, Richmond told police the gun was his but denied pointing it out the window.

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15-year old Oregon girl commits suicide after being bullied

Kaitlyn Boris, age 15

15-year old Kaitlyn Boris was described as "full of life and always joking", who could "light up a room with her smile."  But, after constant bullying at school and the resultant low self-esteem, Kaitlyn took a .45-caliber handgun and shot herself to death.  It was only afterward that her parents found notes indicated what had been going on at school.

From an article and video:

"She was at home with her sister, and dad came home and found her," said Patricia Nesbitt, Kaitlyn's grandmother. 

The 15-year-old had loaded a .45 caliber gun and taken her own life within a matter of seconds. 

"None of us could believe what happened," Nesbitt said. 

Within the last week, Kaitlyn's family found notes she had written about "kids tripping her down stairs" and "footballs getting thrown at her face." 

After reading these notes, her family said it all became clear that their daughter was a victim of bullying. 

"We're finding notes saying how she despised herself," said Dennis Boris, Kaitlyn's father. 

"When she looked in the mirror, she just saw nothing but ugliness, and she was so beautiful. There was nothing wrong with her." 

Kaitlyn's family said she would draw to cope with the pain. 

"In the last picture we have from her, those are tears coming down her face," Nesbitt said. 

Kaitlyn's family is hoping to raise awareness about bullying in the community to help keep a tragedy like this from happening to someone else.     

"Parents need to ask those tough questions, push it out of your kids and don't just let it go," said Kelly Boris, Kaitlyn's mother. "Just always give your kid a hug, because you never know."

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

7-year old Indiana girl shot and killed in home invasion

Kristyana Jackson, age 7

7-year old Kristyana Jackson had just returned home from a football game with her mother when three men invaded their home, in Elkhart, Indiana.  Her father opened the door and was shot and injured, then the men shot Kristyana in the head.  She later was declared braindead.

From an article and video:

So far police have released little information on this home invasion turned murder. In fact, Elkhart Police Department has released no information on the suspects.

But, neighbors and friends chose not to reflect on the suspects but rather remember the little girl who lost her life.

“She was my bestest friend,” wept Rachell Clifford, Kristyana’s second grade classmate and friend.  

“She’s just a really nice girl, like, she’s young, she’s happy,” said Shaneka Ballard of her younger cousin.

On Sunday, family and friends gathered to remember 7-year-old Kristyana in front of her home on Kilbourn Street in Elkhart. 

“They were just coming home from the Central-Memorial football game and some stuff happened,” explained Ballard of Friday night. “I don’t know exactly what happened or how the story went.”

But, neighbors remember the events of Friday night all too well.

“By the time I got out to the street, the father across the street had already exited the front door with a bloody arm, screaming, they shot my baby, they shot my baby,” remembers neighbor, Iverson Grove.  

According to neighbors, Kristyana was shot in the head when unknown suspects broke into her family’s home and opened fire. Neighbors say, her father, John Jackson was shot several times trying to protect his family.

(a related article).

9-year old Baltimore boy shot in crossfire

A 9-year old boy was with two adults when they were shot at, in Baltimore, Maryland.  Both men were injured.  The boy was shot in the stomach and is in stable condition.

From an article:

Anthony Guglielmi, the Baltimore Police Department's chief spokesman, said officers responding to a report of a shooting found the boy sitting inside a vehicle, where he was being held by his mother and was bleeding from his stomach. He was taken to a hospital and was listed in critical but stable condition.

Patrol officers learned of the shooting at about 12:03 a.m., when they were sitting in the 2100 block of McCulloh St. and saw 20 to 30 people running from the 400 block of Bloom St., Guglielmi said. 

A woman flagged down the officers, and said her son and grandson had just been shot. Officers found a 24-year-old man leaning against a vehicle with a gunshot wound to his left forearm, and the 9-year-old inside the vehicle. A 21-year-old victim was later located, suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. 

Guglielmi said the adult victims were "extremely well known to police" but declined to elaborate. He said the young victim was "caught in the crossfire."

Bullets don't know when to stop.

Three teens shot in Chicago

Two men and 15-year old boy were approached on a Chicago street by two men who then opened fire on them.  Both men were injured.  The teen was shot in the leg and is in good condition.

Two girls, ages 14 and 17, were on a nearby porch and were also injured, in the leg and in the arm, respectively.

From an article:

Two men, along with a 15-year-old boy, were standing on the sidewalk in the 8300 block of South Muskegeon around 9:30 p.m. when three males walked up and shot them, police said.

Two teen girls who were sitting on a nearby porch also were injured, police said.

Bullets grazed a 14-year-old girl on her leg and a 17-year-old girl on her arm, police said. Both are in good condition and refused medical treatment.

The 15-year-old boy was shot in the leg and is in good condition at South Shore Hospital, police said. One man, 21, was shot in the abdomen and leg. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

A 22-year-old man was shot in the leg and grazed in the ankle and is in good condition at Advocate Trinity Hospital, police said.

No one was in custody.

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15-year old Oregon boy attempts to get cop's gun to commit "suicide-by-cop"

Police attempted to stop a 15-year old boy who was riding a bike down a Springfield, Oregon street at 2AM, after curfew.  The boy fled, but was eventually tracked down with the help of a K9 unit.  When the police officer tried approached the boy, the boy tried to take the gun, yelling "Just shoot me!" and hoping to be shot in response.  The boy was controlled using the dog and taken into custody without a shooting occurring.

From an article:

The incident started with a 15-year-old riding his bike along Harlow road in Springfield early Friday morning. He was riding without a headlight after curfew. At around 2:40 a.m. a Springfield Police officer pulled up next to the youth and asked him to stop. The boy fled into a nearby apartment complex and temporarily lost the officer. 

A K9 unit responded to the scene to help the officer search for the rider. The K9, Bronko, was able to pick up the rider's scent and followed him to a field off of Laura Street. The officers found the boy's abandoned bike in the field. 

The team followed the rider's scent to some berry bushes, where they muzzled Bronko and sent him into the brush to find the boy. Bronko soon began barking to alert the officers that he has found the rider. 

When officers found the boy, he was pushing Bronko away from him. The K9 officer challenged the teen, who fled further into the bushes. 

The officer finally reached the boy, who began grabbing at the officer's gun, yelling "just shoot me!". The officer de-muzzled Bronko and ordered him to bite the youth. He was unresponsive to the dog's bites. 

The officers and Bronko eventually get control of the boy and put him in handcuffs.
After he was detained the teen said he was grabbing at the officer's gun to shoot one of the officers, in the hopes that the other would shoot him. 

The boy was taken to the SERBU youth center on multiple charges including possession of marijuana, a probation violation, two counts of harassment on police, resisting arrest and interfering with a police animal.

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16-year old Houston boy shoots 18-year old who was teasing two girls

Two young men, one of whom was 18, were teasing two girls about their sexual orientation, in Houston, Texas.  That's when a 16-year old boy tried to come to their defense.  A fight ensued, and the 16-year old pulled out a gun and shot the 18-year old.

From an article:

An 18-year-old Houston man who teased two girls about their sexual orientation Thursday night was shot by a teen who stepped up to defend them, police told KHOU-TV.

Police said the trouble started after two young males started making fun of the two girls outside a convenience store. A 16-year-old boy came to their defense, leading to a fistfight outside a nearby apartment complex.

The boy then pulled a gun and shot one of the two young men, police said.

The wounded man was hospitalized in stable condition, and police are searching for the shooter.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

14-year old Texas boy unintentionally shoots 12-year old brother with .22

Two brothers, ages 14 and 12, were left alone at a home in East Bexar County, Texas, while their mother was at work.  That's when they found an unsecured .22-caliber firearm.  The 14-year old unintentionally fired the weapon, hitting his younger brother in the chest.

The boy is in the hospital with problems breathing due to the wound.

From an article:

Bexar County sheriff's Detective Louis Antu said the boys were alone at the home about a mile north of U.S. 87 on Stuart Road about 2 p.m. when the teen-ager shot his 12-year-old brother in the chest with a .22-caliber firearm.

The shooter ran to a relative's home next door, where authorities were notified. The injured boy was flown to University Hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Antu said the boy was having trouble breathing but was conscious.

Authorities said they believe the firearm belonged to the boys' mother, who was at work. Antu said the shooting is being handled as accidental, and no one had been charged as of Thursday afternoon.

He said deputies hadn't determined where the weapon was before the boy took it or whether he loaded it himself.

Antu said parents should keep firearms unloaded and inaccessible to children.

Here's a better idea to keep guns away from children:  don't have a gun in the home with them.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

Washington state school district sued over shooting of student

This story was in the news some time ago. A nine year old boy supposedly slammed a backpack down and a gun inside of the backpack discharged, hitting a classmate in the back. The girl's family is now suing the School District for $10 million dollars.

The family of a young Washington state girl severely injured when a gun in a classmate's backpack went off filed a $10 million claim against the Bremerton school district Wednesday, saying it failed to heed clues that the boy might be dangerous.

Third-grader Amina Kocer-Bowman, now 9, spent about six weeks in the hospital, required numerous surgeries and suffered critical, lifelong injuries when the bullet pierced her internal organs and lodged in her spine on Feb. 22. Police initially reported that the gun went off when her 9-year-old classmate slammed the backpack down on a desk, but the claim said the boy told investigators that he had reached into the backpack and had his hand on the gun when it went off.

The boy was sentenced to a year of probation and was required to apologize to Amina, and his mother – a felon who did not have custody of the boy but nevertheless spent time with him – has pleaded guilty to weapons charges in a deal with prosecutor. Police found several loaded, unsecured handguns in the home where she lived with her boyfriend, the Bowmans' lawyer, Jeffery Campiche, noted at a news conference.

According to the claim, the girl's teacher had been concerned about the boy's behavior since late last year, as he became more aggressive and bullied other pupils. He was unhappy with his teacher after he was moved into a lower, remedial reading class. And about one week before the shooting, he was suspended for fighting on the playground, and he began telling other students that he was going to bring a gun to school – information that apparently was never relayed to teachers or administrators.

The boy later told police that he brought the gun to protect himself against bullies.

There are often danger signs when children are having problems with school or at home. But when guns are left around the home for children to access, shootings like this one can and do happen. And now, a little girl has life long injuries and the boy and his family will never be the same. Easy access to guns is preventable.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

7-year old West Virginia boy fights for his life after being shot in the chest with a pellet gun

A 7-year old boy in Seth, West Virginia, was playing with a "high-powered pellet gun" with his siblings when one of the siblings pulled the trigger, and he was shot in the chest.  The boy is currently in the hospital in critical condition.

From an article:

Boone County Sheriff Rodney Miller was disturbed when he heard that the boy and his sibling were playing with the gun when it went off.

“We have a young child in the hospital with life-threatening injuries that was created by this weapon. Some people may call it a toy. Obviously it's not,” Miller said.

The shooting was accidental, but an investigation is still being launched. Deputies want to know where the adults were, and why the gun wasn't in a secure place.

“There's no excuse. It has to be done. We can't afford to let children injure themselves or each other by accident,” Miller said. “Weapons were only created for one reason and that's to kill; whether it's to hunt for game or for protection.”

Pellet guns don't fall under the same laws as other firearms; meaning there’s no license or training required.

However, law enforcement says those who buy these weapons still need to be extra careful; especially when children are around.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

12-year old Chicago girl shot in leg by stray bullet from gang fight

Crystal Booker, age 12

12-year old Crystal Booker was sitting in front of her Chicago home doing her homework when shots were fired nearby.  A young man fired about 10 shots at a home in a gang retaliation, and one of those shots hit Crystal in the leg.  She went to the hospital, was treated and released.

From an article:

One of the bullets struck Crystal Booker, an eighth grader at nearby Claremont Academy where classes began Monday, her family said.

"She was sitting out here doing homework, minding her business, being a kid," Crystal's cousin, Jasmin Booker, told WGN-TV.

The bullet passed through Crystal's right leg and she was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where she was treated and released.

"It's really a shame that. . .our kids are starting back school to better (themselves) and this is what they have to worry about," she said.The gunman remained at-large this morning, police said.

Bullets don't know when to stop.

17-year old Tulsa girl shot and killed; mistaken for gang member

Kayla Ferrante, age 17

17-year old Kayla Ferrante had just graduated high school and was driving.  She and her boyfriend were driving to her home, and were only yards away from the house when gunfire hit their car, hitting her in the back.  She died soon after in the hospital.

The shooter, Edwin Jermaine Daniels, had mistaken the car for that of a rival gang member.

Daniels and another man, Michael Darnell Hilliard, are also convicted of an armed home invasion robbery.

From an article:

Kayla Ferrante, 17, graduated from her Tulsa, Okla., high school Friday, a year early in order to jump-start a career working with special-needs students. Her family said this was her passion.

After a family celebration Saturday, she went to a friend's house and later that night headed for home with her boyfriend Neikko Perez driving the car.

When the couple were just a half block from Ferrante's house, shots rang out that Perez thought were "really loud fireworks."

The bullet that hit Kayla pierced the license plate on the back of the car, tore through the trunk and hit her in the back before passing through her. Police later determined the bullets were fired from a high-powered rifle.

"I see a few guys a couple of houses down running inside and I started yelling for help because my girlfriend said, 'Neikko, call 911. I can't breathe,'" Perez told "Good Morning America." "I ran to her side of the door, opened it and I looked at her and I saw that she was bleeding."

About five minutes later, police and medical personnel arrived.

"They told me to get back and they didn't want me near," Perez said. "They started questioning me right after." 

Ferrante was rushed to the hospital where she died during surgery, police said.

By the time Perez got to the hospital, he said, "It was too late. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, to hear that my girlfriend had passed."

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3-year old Detroit girl injured by shotgun blast

Amaria Parham, age 3

3-year old Amaria Parham was with her mother in Detroit, Michigan, outside their home when a dispute broke out between men nearby.  One of the men pulled out a shotgun and started shooting.  Amaria and her mother fled, but not before the little girl was hit in the arm.

Police know who the shooter is and are looking for him.  Amaria is expected to recover.

From an article:

Investigators tell Local 4 that the shooting in the 19000 block of Cardoni Street began as a small dispute between neighbors. Sources say with tension rising, Latina Edwards, who lives on the block, grabbed her 3-year-old daughter, Amaria Parham, and jumped in a van. She was trying to leave when someone pulled out a shotgun and fired it at the van. The girl was hit in the arm. 

"Wasn't nobody really out here. All we heard was gunshots. We don't know where they came from," said Dominique Lauderdale, a family friend.

Addendum (10/10/12):  According to another article, the shooter had purposely targeted Amyria (as her name is spelled in the article) after the shooter started calling Amyria a "ho" and then confronting Amyria's mother when the mother objected to his language.

13 year old New York boy shoots himself on quiet street

Suicide by gun is the most frequent cause of gun deaths. This rural New York boy shot himself in the head on a quiet street of his town. 

A teenage altar boy committed suicide by shooting himself in the head on a quiet village street.  

Hundreds attended the funeral of 13-year-old William Rudloff on Monday.

His distraught mother asked the congregation to focus on how her son had lived and not on his death. 

Police have closed the investigation into the teenager's death on August 2 which left his small community reeling.

William walked out into the street, close to his home in Sloatsburg, New York and fired a gun at his head. 

He died two days later in Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla.

Officials said there was no criminal wrongdoing, calling the death a 'tragedy'.

More will likely be revealed about this sad and tragic case. It seems as if this shooting was pretty unexpected to the boy's family and friends but there were some family problems. From the article:

photo from linked article

The death of the Suffern Middle School student has left the small community in shock as they believed the young man to be a popular athlete with plenty of friends.

Reverend D. Francis Dias, of St Joan of Arc Church, told Journal News last week that he had trained William as an altar boy for five years.

The priest said that the teenager had stopped coming to church last year because he was experiencing family problems.

Every gun in the hands of a child or teen must through pass through the hands of an adult.

13 year old boy shot in Charlotte, North Carolina

This story is another example of the pain left behind when a young person is killed by bullets. In Charlotte, North Carolina, a 13 year old boy who had aspirations for college and was trying to make it in a difficult world, was shot to death by a friend. Here is more about this incident:

Hours after police had cleared the crime scene, family and friends of 13-year-old Khalil Malik Cousart walked to the spot where the rising eighth-grader had been fatally shot early Tuesday.

They placed flowers, a colorful pinwheel and a sign that read “RIP Khalil” by a broken white picket fence bordering a church at the west Charlotte intersection. They struggled to understand the circumstances that led police to charge Khalil’s 16-year-old friend, Damien Wright, with his murder.

“It just seems surreal, like I’m dreaming or something,” said Khalil’s older brother, Kyan Orr. “I wish someone would wake me up.”

Khalil’s death is at least the fourth fatal shooting of a teen in Charlotte this year – the third in the last five weeks.

Wright was charged with first-degree murder and was being held Tuesday in the Mecklenburg jail without bond.

More details about this incident:

According to police, a young male waved down a passing motorist around 1 a.m. Tuesday at the corner of Tuckaseegee Road and Parkway Avenue and said someone had been shot. The motorist called police, and responding officers said they found Khalil on the ground, suffering from a gunshot wound.

Paramedics took him to Carolinas Medical Center, where the teen was soon pronounced dead.

Police have not described what led up to the gunshots, saying only that Khalil and Wright knew each other and that the shooting was not random.

Tiarra Dukes, 17, who lives across the street, said she heard multiple gunshots around 1 a.m. She knew both teens, but didn’t know what might have led to the shooting.

“Everybody in the neighborhood hangs out all the time,” she said.

Khalil appeared to be a popular boy who was well-liked by many. From the article:

“He was a fantastic young guy,” Jarrell said, describing Khalil as a bright young man who was often seen riding his bicycle through the neighborhood talking to people.

Jarrell said his two children adored Khalil. “He was like a part of the family,” he said.

On his Facebook page, Khalil wrote, “I’m just a swagged up boy tryin to survive and make it to (that) big college.”

Orr said his brother was outgoing and had many friends. He described him as an “all-around kid” who also liked music and had earned A’s and B’s at Ashley Park school in west Charlotte.

“Can’t nobody ever duplicate him. There will always be one Khalil,” Orr said.

Khalil liked sports, including football and basketball, and was looking forward to playing with a team at the Naomi Drenan Recreation Center in the coming months, said Bonita Walker, an aunt.

Khalil’s shooting came just three months after a man he considered family was killed, relatives said.

This is the 4th teen homicide in Charlotte this year. Three of them have occurred in the last 5 weeks.

 

 

Mother of Connecticut girl shot by brother believes her daughter's death was part of a plan

The mother of a 6 year old Connecticut girl who was shot to death by her older brother is now saying she believes the accident was a plan for her daughter. From the article:

The mother of a six-year-old girl who was killed when her brother's hunting rifle accidentally went off says nothing could have been done to prevent her daughter's from dying.

Haydee Stanovich made a shocking statement about little Jenn's death, saying it was 'God's call' that she took a bullet to her chest when a loaded gun fell off a bed and fired. 

Ms Stanovich says she spoke with her daughter 30 minutes before the accident and has concluded that it must have been the six-year-old's time to die.  

'It was God's call. There was no way around it,' Mrs Stanovich told the Hartford Courant. 

Mrs Stanovich's husband Richard had taken Jenn and her brother Charles, 13, to visit their grandmother in Culloden, Georgia, when her daughter was shot. Mrs Stanovich was at the family's home in Connecticut working. 

Mrs Stanovich said her daughter seemed to have a preternatural sense that something was going to happen. 

After her death, her family found a notepad filled with chilling notes Jenn had written. (...) 

Half an hour after Jenn hung up the phone with her mother, her brother Charles came into the house with a .22-caliber rifle he had used to hunt armadillos in his grandmother's backyard. 

He later told police he thought he had unloaded to firearm and put it on the bed. When he accidentally knocked it off, fired. The bullet struck Jenn in the chest. 

Her father held her in his arms until paramedics arrived and took her to the hospital, where she died. 

Two hours after Mrs Stanovich heard her six-year-old daughter contemplate her own death, her husband called to say Jenn was dead. 

Mrs Stanovich said her son is devastated by the accident and he hasn't been able to speak with his mother since it happened. 

'I think he feels uncomfortable around me. He feels he took my baby away from me, he told me that. But it was an accident,' she told the Courant. 

'We really believe it was God's decision. God wanted her home, he called her home.'

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.