Blanket is evidence PA boy planned to kill.

[Nessa 23]

put him away for life

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

If the kid did do it then I would look at the environmental factors in the home environment that would make for this lethal situation. First where is the boys real mother? The real Mom is missing and not made mention of in the articles and that's one indicator. Second, this is the Dad's 26 year old pregnant live in girlfriend that is dead. Hormones and abuse may have played a factor. Also,and I am no expert, but the child may be a sociopath if he can just murder like that and go to school without a problem and not have confessed to the crime yet. They say it's premeditated now because of the blanket but it really doesn't seem thought out much to me. If the child did it was he acting on a violent fantasy with the means to do so seeing as his Dad just gave him the gun for Christmas? The article said he threatened them earlier in the week but who hasn't shouted out in an angry burst I'm going to kill you to a sibling or I hate you to a parent at one time or another and not really mean it. LOLZ!

Edited February 24, 2009 by Far2Long

[Nagishkaw 510]

Overall, it is just one sad situation.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Yes.

[Peikko 1,575]

The kid is 11 and should not have been given a gun to keep in his room. He may be a sociopath but his parents are responsible for his actions at this age. He should not be in an adult jail, this is ridiculous.

When I say responsible, I guess I mean if he showed signs of odd behaviour then they should have addressed it. Whatever, it's messed up, totally and lots of lives are ruined.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

He's still innocent until proven guilty in our justice system if this goes to trial. Another aspect to consider is other suspects such as the father or ex-lovers. I think if it was someone else it had to be someone in or around the farmhouse that knew the boy got a child shotgun for Christmas. The Child's age and the fact they are arguing for him to go to juvenile detention until he is 21 could be some sort of consideration for committing the crime with his weapon.

[DeadPoolX 9]

There's actually no direct evidence that violence in movies or video games creates pyschopathic pyschology - in most of the cases where the media has been blamed for influencing people's behaviour to commit murder there were other factors were at work - such as violent abuse in the home. That was the case in the Jamie Bulger case and that of the Columbine killers. The deviant psychology was already there - and those people sought it out to feed their psychoses.

Again - there's no evidence that the kid in this case was inspired by Grand Theft Auto, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or anything of that nature. It is being suggested that he may have had resentment issues within the family, but as others have said - the story as described sounds rather fishy.

Psychopaths are obviously a different kettle of fish. Exposure to violence especially at a young age has been linked and proven to desensitize kids view of it. Therefore, some kids are growing up and feel that violence and murder is an acceptable means of communication. You want proof? refer to OP. In our entire human history, kids have never ever had such easy on-demand access to violence. I posted an article a while back about how the latest generation are simply unsympathetic, egotistical and self-centered.

This particular incident is also not isolated and neither is it restricted to kids. There have been many many cases posted in OT involving kids. Just the other day I noticed on the nightly news that someone was shot and killed over road rage. Homicide rates are through the roof when compared to other western nations. It is certainly not the availability of guns that is the cause. It kills me that you cannot see a difference in culture and attitude towards crime and murder when compared to that of your own mother country. That you cannot see why countries like the United Kingdom and Australia restrict junk from polluting the society and the minds of kids who are quite vulnerable.

I am not going to argue with you as I know we will not agree but like anything in life, someone is right and someone is wrong. So either the rest of the developed world who has appropriate restrictions is wrong. Or the United States with the anything goes system is wrong.

I find it interesting that so many are willing to jump on the "video games did it" bandwagon. Are some games too violent for some age groups? Yes and that's why video games have ratings (much like movies do) and then it's up to the parents to decide if such-and-such game is acceptable for their kid.

Let's put this into perspective: A game called Grand Theft Auto (or any other obvious title) is not for children. It's a game about committing criminal acts -- even if you had no idea what the game entailed, the title should give parents some inkling about the content. There's also a "Rated M" sticker on the box with the words "Mature" written under it.

If parents still can't get it through their thick skulls that an M-rated game with a title that's easily decipherable isn't for their preteen child, then there's no hope. The game developer certainly isn't to blame. Their business is to create games. They don't babysit kids. Each and every game satisfies a different audience. When concerning children, the decision is up to the parents.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

The Dad must be in terrible turmoil. I wonder if that was the boys motive? Some sort of incestuous primordial motive where the boy obsessively loves his father not unlike the Oedipus complex. Oh what is the name for it?

[BowieChick 0]

I hate guns, I really do. And I hate how people say "Guns don't kill people, people kill people!" WELL HELLO if those people that kill people didn't have guns it would be more complicated than just a flick of the finger to do so. And people with guns kill people on accident too.

It just makes me get a sad feeling inside when I hear people say, "Yeah I'm gettin' ma kid a youth sized shot gun fer christmas!"

I care about people and life itself too much to take something like guns so lightly. They aren't kids toys. They aren't IDIOTS toys either.

It's funny that even with this opinion I dated an ####### for half a year that hunted religiously and owned a bunch of guns. Some in his room and a couple under a blanket behind the seats in his ugly pickup truck. What was I thinking?

[panamania79 2]

I hate guns, I really do. And I hate how people say "Guns don't kill people, people kill people!" WELL HELLO if those people that kill people didn't have guns it would be more complicated than just a flick of the finger to do so. And people with guns kill people on accident too.

It just makes me get a sad feeling inside when I hear people say, "Yeah I'm gettin' ma kid a youth sized shot gun fer christmas!"

I care about people and life itself too much to take something like guns so lightly. They aren't kids toys. They aren't IDIOTS toys either.

It's funny that even with this opinion I dated an ####### for half a year that hunted religiously and owned a bunch of guns. Some in his room and a couple under a blanket behind the seats in his ugly pickup truck. What was I thinking?

One of my best friends committed suicide a few years ago.His dad was one of those big time NRA buffs with rifles all over the house.I just keep thinking if it weren't for those ####### guns,my buddy would still be with us today.

[DeadPoolX 9]

I hate guns, I really do. And I hate how people say "Guns don't kill people, people kill people!" WELL HELLO if those people that kill people didn't have guns it would be more complicated than just a flick of the finger to do so. And people with guns kill people on accident too.

It just makes me get a sad feeling inside when I hear people say, "Yeah I'm gettin' ma kid a youth sized shot gun fer christmas!"

I care about people and life itself too much to take something like guns so lightly. They aren't kids toys. They aren't IDIOTS toys either.

It's funny that even with this opinion I dated an ####### for half a year that hunted religiously and owned a bunch of guns. Some in his room and a couple under a blanket behind the seats in his ugly pickup truck. What was I thinking?

One of my best friends committed suicide a few years ago.His dad was one of those big time NRA buffs with rifles all over the house.I just keep thinking if it weren't for those ####### guns,my buddy would still be with us today.

I'd think the best way to prevent somebody's suicide is to get them help. They need to see a psychologist and a psychiatrist. Whether or not firearms are in the house is somewhat irrelevant. Any object, from rope to drugs to kitchen knives, could be used to commit suicide. Maybe guns are more convenient, but the fact remains that if someone is intent on killing themselves, there are tons of ways around the house to do it.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Except the preferred method of suicide in this country is by gun.

Sure someone *could* use something else, but there's no denying the popularity of a trigger pull. Its quick and more or less guaranteed. Hanging, poisoning, wrist slitting or jumping work too but there's effort and pain involved and a person might be more likely to reconsider.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Except the preferred method of suicide in this country is by gun.

Sure someone *could* use something else, but there's no denying the popularity of a trigger pull. Its quick and more or less guaranteed. Hanging, poisoning, wrist slitting or jumping work too but there's effort and pain involved and a person might be more likely to reconsider.

I'd agree, except for one point. While men do use firearms to commit suicide more than any other tactic, women, on the other hand, often use drugs or slit their wrists. As I said before, guns are far more convenient, but are far from the only way to commit suicide around the house.

Quite possibly the worst way I can imagine someone attempting suicide is by ingesting an overdose of Tylenol. Say goodbye to your liver!

Edited February 25, 2009 by DeadPoolX

[Heracles 417]

I was thinking PD, since you like to rebut everything and anything when being proactive is recommended to reduce crime. Proactive in the sense of filtration that is used in many other OECD nations.

Can you personally suggest what you 'believe' is the reason/s the homicides rates in United States is so much higher than that of the UK, Canada or Australia? At a rate almost triple the average.

Murders (per capita)

United States: 0.042802 per 1,000 people

Australia:0.0150324 per 1,000 people

Canada: 0.0149063 per 1,000 people

UK: 0.0140633 per 1,000 people

In contrast:

#1 Colombia: 0.617847 per 1,000 people

#2 South Africa: 0.496008 per 1,000 people

#3 Jamaica: 0.324196 per 1,000 people

#4 Venezuela: 0.316138 per 1,000 people

#5 Russia: 0.201534 per 1,000 people

#6 Mexico: 0.130213 per 1,000 people

Edited February 25, 2009 by Aficionado

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

There's quite a few reasons I suspect - but this is probably one you might want to explore in a thread dedicated to that, and not one about an 11 yr old shooting his stepmother - as I suspect little about this case fits the "norm".