Police investigate neighbor's killing of teen prankster

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

BOCA RATON, Florida (AP) -- Authorities are investigating the death of a 16-year-old who was shot to death by a neighbor while playing a late-night prank.

Mark Drewes and a friend were knocking on neighbors' doors and running away around midnight Friday when Jay Steven Levin said he mistook the 6-foot-2 teen for a burglar and "thought he saw something in Drewes' hand," according to sheriff's reports.

Levin answered the knock on his door armed with a handgun and shot the teen, said sheriff's spokeswoman Diane Carhart.

Drewes ran and collapsed a few hundred feet away in front of another home in the middle-class neighborhood. He died at a hospital early Saturday from a single gunshot wound.

Levin has not been arrested. Carhart said authorities were in contact with the 40-year-old businessman.
<snip>
You don't play "ring and run" in a zero tolerance, well armed America.

[Brucey]

1. Wasn't this the plot for a Kurt Vonnegut short story?

Ice Nine is coming!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. Similar incidents

The man in Louisiana who shot a Japanese exchange student who was walking toward his house in a Halloween mask playing "monster." (Sad story, but what a wuss that he should be scared of someone playing monster on Halloween!)

The man who came home one evening, heard someone in the coat closet, threw the door open and shot--his young daughter who had planned to jump out and surprise him.

Some people must have their fingers permanently on the trigger.

[flamingyouth]

5. I remember the case of that poor Japanese kid

But I recalled him being dressed as John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever - thus making the neighbor's fear of him even more difficult to understand!

[MinnFats]

6. i remember a TV story on the girl killed by her father...

...they talked to several old duffers from the town tap and they all agreed that there should be no penalties....despite the fact that this town had little violent crime....hey, it was the KID'S FAULT.


and another story....a guy was being extradited back to....one of the deep south states after being arrested for molesting a young boy....he was under guard as they got him off the plane...(this was all captured on a TV station's videotape)...the boy's father was pretending to be making a phone call at a booth...when they passed him, the father turned and put a bullet right in the guy's ear...does it sound too kneejerk liberal to say this guy only made his family's situation worse?

[JNelson6563]

12. I believe the guy got off

and let me tell you, if someone raped my kid, I wouldn't waste much time asking questions either. No gun here, too quick and painless IMO.

Hurt my child expect no mercy.

Julie

[Speed8098]

15. Hear Hear!

I thought the guy did the right thing. I have a 13 year old daughter and I would do the exact same thing.

I might spend the rest of my life in prison, but to me it would be worth it.

[No Passaran]

31. I'd do the same thing

[DoNotRefill]

19. Umm..not quite...

the Japanese exchange student did some other stuff before being shot. First, he went to the door, rang the doorbell, and the guy's wife answered it. The student screamed and tried to scare her, apparently modeling some kind of Japanese TV "shock show". She pushed him back out of the door and slammed it, screaming for her husband to help her because she was being attacked. The husband grabbed the gun, and ran to his wife. He couldn't see the attacker, so he went outside to see what was going on. He found the student near their vehicles, pointed the gun at him, and ordered him to stop moving around. The student turned towards the guy, and advanced on him while waving his arms in a threatening manner. The guy repeatedly told him to stop, the student continued to advance towards him despite having a gun pointed at him and being ordered to stop, and finally he shot the student when he got so close that it threatened the man's safety. The shooter was tried on manslaughter charges (IIRC) and was found to have acted in self-defense by a jury of his peers.

In other words, the student wasn't shot just for being in the guy's driveway.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

32. Yeah. He was a non-white stranger in a relatively rural population

that for the most part equates guns as phallic extensions.

[demdave]

33. phallic extensions??

What do you use for self-defense? A canoe?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

34. I use my brain. It has kept me alive for over half a century without

having to use or refer to a gun in self defense.

However, I was in a flood once where a canoe was a much more practical item of self preservation than a lunk of machined metal.

[truth2power]

35. LOL! Thanks Billy.

Seems like all the humor has been wrung out of this place lately.

[RapidCreek]

67. Gosh billy

Using your brains? That's cheating!

RC

[bahrbearian]

69. I came home one Halloween and had a Burglar in the house

he was about 19 yrs old. My friend and I grabbed him and took him outside to wait for the Police. In the dark by the fence were two of his buddies, so I ran over an caught one of them,(he was about 21) then a car drove by real slow and scopped out my house, with 3 more guys in it I asked them if they knew the guy's. "No we don't know em." and they drive off. the car came back and bunch of yelling and screaming errupted from these jerk's so I decked two of em, as Two more came runing at me from up the street I decked the 1st one and the 2nd one stopped a gun fell out of the 1st ones pocket. I have a small arsenal myself but it never acurred to me to grab a gun. The neighbors were awoken by the jerks yelling and came out with their guns soon the ploice arrived and took 2 of the jerks away. I never thought about using and gun and I'm glad I didn't, cause it would have been Ugly.

[coralrf]

36. What do you do?

Shoot kids that are doing things that you did when you were teir age?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

4. So many of Vonnegut's visions of American society have been

"spot on."

I feel as if I live in a country where greed and fear are considered to be among the finest virtues of a citizen.

[bobthedrummer]

16. The nation has become more like the visions of Phillip K. Dick IMHO

n/t

[RowWellandLive]

2. Tragic story

I feel bad for everyone involved. Levin's actions are hard to understand but I bet that his guilt and regret will punish him forever, despite what the legal system does.

What a horror. I'm not certain what proper justice is here. Maybe manslaughter of a lesser degree and some prison time. Not sure.

[truthisfreedom]

7. people used to keep rock salt in a shotgun for this kind of thing.

back when they valued human life.

[CivilRightsNow]

8. Rocksalt?

Really? How did that work? And how can you put rock salt in a gun? Were there bullets involved too?

Im curious, Ive never heard that before.

[truthisfreedom]

9. yep. rocksalt. instead of loading their shells with lead shot, they'd

put rocksalt in them. stung like the dickens, and left a burning wound, but didn't kill if there was any distance between the shooter and target (salt is very light compared with lead and doesn't maintain enough momentum to penetrate deeply into flesh.) keep in mind, the guns were shotguns, not handguns, so the shells were reasonably large and could be loaded with most any loose substance. salt tends to sterilize a wound anyway... which reduces the chance of infection. this can still be done today if you load your own shells. good way to scare off varmints without killin' 'em.

the idea was to inflict punishment that would be remembered without taking life or causing disabling injury.

[CivilRightsNow]

10. That is some handy info.

Thanks. :)

[DoNotRefill]

23. The other thing about rocksalt...

is that once it penetrates, it sits there and slowly dissolves, causing more than just a little bit of pain over a long period of time (ever hear the phrase "rubbing salt in an open wound"?) It's very difficult and painful to remove.

I speak from experience.

[Heitie]

26. My grandmother uses rocksalt...

Maybe she gotcha ;)

[truthisfreedom]

28. it's a gramma kind of thing.

n/m

[newyawker99]

30. Hi Heitie!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Heitie]

49. Thanks!

:)

[Pompitous_Of_Love]

79. Hurts like hell

Not that I would know from personal experience, mind you. But it is a nifty non-lethal means of discouraging trespassing. I must really be getting old -- I would have thought everyone who ever lived in a small town or a rural area would know about shotgun-propeled rock salt.

[coralrf]

37. Rocksalt..

was put is shot gun shells. Usually it was used to hurt and not kill but it can kill. It does hurt..I have felt it.

You uncrimp the shell, easy in shot gun ammo, pour out the lead shot and put in the salt.

[Fish Eye]

11. I love america

gun nuts are paranoid and should not own guns...I would send the guy away for a long time

I certainl yhope your comment on this post was not a justification for Murder.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

17. Most definitely not. The incident is a sad and tragic symbol of what

America has become, IMHO. The comment was tongue in cheel.

[JNelson6563]

13. This guy should be locked up

and have the key thrown away. What a moran.

Julie

[LeftistGorilla]

14. somthing in his hand?

his fingers?


anyways...missing link...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

18. Follow up story in Palm Beach Post:

Parents of slain boy planning civil suit



WEST PALM BEACH -- Sitting beside two grieving parents Friday, the attorney for the family of a slain suburban Boca Raton teen bemoaned the killing and predicted the neighbor who fired the fatal shot will be arrested, tried and will serve time.


Chris Matula / The Palm Beach Post
In what has become a nightly event, teens gather on Woodbury Road in suburban Boca Raton, near where Mark Drewes was shot last week by a neighbor, Jay Levin. Drewes' family called Friday for Levin's arrest and plans a civil suit.
• Parents planning civil suit
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is still investigating last Saturday's shooting and has not arrested the 40-year-old shooter, Jay Steven Levin.

Attorney Bob Montgomery also said at a news conference he plans to file a lawsuit against Levin for the wrongful death of Mark Andrew Drewes, a popular Pope John Paul II High School sophomore, so the pain he caused the family "will follow him for the rest of his life."

<snip>

Drewes was shot shortly after his 16th birthday party when he and a friend played a mischievous, late-night game of "ding-dong-ditch" -- knocking on doors or ringing doorbells and running away -- in the Woodbury neighborhood in suburban Boca Raton.
<snip>

[DoNotRefill]

20. Dang...

none of the quotes have anything about the parents of the dead kid talking about his previous history of vandalism.

he was such a nice kid, so full of life, even when he was out terrorizing the neighborhood...

We'll have to see what happens...there's more to the story than what was quoted...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

21. Maybe we should take a card from the RNC's view of the Reagan

Miniseries and have the NRA investigate all gun violence?

Is it unfathomable that someone innocent or undeserving of violent death might get killed by a gun?

[DoNotRefill]

22. Nope, it's not unfathomable...

but it's kind of stupid to rush to conclusions when we simply don't have all of the facts.

This is being investigated by the police. Let them do their job, and try not to jump to conclusions before they do so. If the guy broke the law, he'll be charged. If convicted, he'll be punished.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

24. "If he broke the law, he'll be punished????"

This happened in America, are you serious? Like Ken Lay? Like Dubya?

[DoNotRefill]

44. Ummm...are you claiming...

that the shooter in this case has political protection due to closeness to the Bushes?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

45. Okay, let's say like OJ... Money and influence runs our legal system

in this country. Not Justice.

Just take a look at the demographics of prison and jail populations in this country and try to imagine any other reason.

If you can pay the lawyers and the fines, chances are you are not going to do time unless you fall into a political statement area like Tommy Chong did. This guy (the shooter)will probably end up with funding from gun rights groups.

[coralrf]

41. Anyone want to make a few bets??????

This "killer" is not much of a masculine idol, probably short and fat.

Wanna bet?

This Killer has not really done much in his life. His parents were probably influential in helping get whatever he does have.

Wanna bet?

This Killer never put his own life on the line. No military for this guy.

Wanna bet?

This Killer is the kind of guy that has a “until you pry my cold dead hands off it” bumper sticker and a long history of talking “shit” about blowing away anybody that messes with him.

Wanna bet?

And a sure thing. This dumb ass killer thinks that it’s ok to shoot rather than just not open the door. That a kid that he chased should are shot rather than just letting him run away. Let us hope that there is a real “badass” in this mans life: A Gung Ho hard core DA.

Fuck this guy. The kid was not a threat to him. When will stop the “I thought I saw a gun” bullshit from being an excuse to kill?

[FireHeart]

42. I hope they win...

big time. I'm tired of all these paranoid "what would you do" freaks who have the firm belief that if you even "THINK" that someone "MIGHT" be threatening you...a gun solves the problem.

Responsibility. It goes both ways, folks. You can't have "single sided" responsibility. If you are a paranoid psycho--pay the price. Should the kid have been arrested and prosecuted for trespassing? Sure. He was. Shot to death? Naw.

[joshcryer]

25. Since when do burgulars ring doorbells?

Hmm...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

27. Since the NRA lawyers say so.

I'll bet dollars to Krispy Kremes that this guy's legal fees are picked up by the gun lobby/NRA.

[Endangered Specie]

39. would be different

if hed a shot a kid of a top NRA member, wonder what would be done then.

Brings up an old question of mine, what does the NRA do when one of its members gets shot dead?, surely it happens, some of them are stupid enough to accidentaly shoot themselves.

[truthisfreedom]

29. burglar, ma'am.

that question reminds me of monty python's skit:

(Scene: A front door of a flat. A man walks up to the door and rings bell. He is dressed smartly, like a Salesman.)

Salesman: Burglar! (longish pause while he waits, he rings again) Burglar! (woman appears at other side of door)

Woman: Yes?

Salesman: Burglar, madam.

Woman: What do you want?

Salesman: I want to come in and steal a few things, madam.

Woman: Are you an encyclopedia salesman?

Salesman: No madam, I'm a burglar, I burgle people.

Woman: I think you're an encyclopedia salesman.

Salesman: Oh I'm not, open the door, let me in please.

Woman: If I let you in you'll sell me encyclopedias.

Salesman: I won't, madam. I just want to come in and ransack the flat. Honestly.

Woman: Promise. No encyclopedias?

Salesman: None at all.

Woman: All right. (she opens door) You'd better come in then.

(Salesman enters it through door.)

Salesman: Mind you I don't know whether you've really considered the advantages of owning a really fine set of modern encyclopedias...(he pockets valuable) You know, they can really do you wonders.

(Cut back to man at desk.)

Man: That man was a successful encyclopedia salesman. But not all encyclopedia salesmen are successful. Here is an unsuccessful encyclopedia salesman.

(Cut to very tall building; a body flies out of a high window and plummets. Cut back to man at desk.)

Man: Now here are two unsuccessful encyclopedia salesmen.

(Cut to a different tall building; two bodies fly out of a high window. Cut back to man at desk.)

Man: I think there's a lesson there for all of us.

[DoNotRefill]

46. Ummm....

"Jay Levin, 40, told police he was awakened by knocking and saw Mark Drewes' 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame in his window. Levin said he thought he saw something in Drewes' hand, opened his door and fired. He then called 911 and told dispatchers he had just shot a burglar. The teen with Drewes that night said he and his friend began running away when they saw the gun. Drewes, the friend said, was shot in the back."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/search/sfl-ppdefense31oct31,0,161344.story

I might be scared if I woke up to a 6'2", 200 pound guy trying to get in my window...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

47. If he was trying to get into the window, why did he open the door

to shoot the kid in the back?

So, you're saying that someone is justified in shooting a fleeing (anyone) in the back because they are "scared?"

[DoNotRefill]

50. Do we know the guy was shot in the back?

All we have to substantiate that is a statement made by one of the kids who was pulling the "prank". Yes, from the reports we have, it seems clear that there was more than one there, one ringing the doorbell, and at least one at the window (the one that was shot).

If the dead kid was shot in the front or side, I'd think that would clearly indicate that he wasn't running away, wouldn't it?

We simply don't know yet what actually happened.

Let me ask you this. At what point is it OK to defend yourself?

Here's a hypothetical for you. Let's say there's a woman alone, and somebody tries to break in and rape her. Does she have to wait until the would-be rapist actually penetrates her before she acts to defend herself? Or should she act to defend herself BEFORE she is victimized?

In the situation in the real case, we know that there were at least two "kids" rattling this guy's "chain". If you were in your house asleep, and woke up to find your doorbell ringing and a 6'2", 200 pound guy rattling your window, wouldn't you be justifiably scared? Would you stop to ask for ID to verify their ages? Or would you reasonably assume that something bad was happening?

[joshcryer]

52. Um, in this case it was quite clear.

Stupid scenarios aren't necessary (your rape hypothetical is just horrible). The guy was outside the house. Yelling to leave the property and warning with a gun is way more than enough force.

If this was happening to me, I would probably have waited until I had evidence that something fishy was occuring. I mean, damn, we're talking Halloween here. People are going to play pranks. People are going to act silly.

The guy will probably get off, of course. So you can probably rest in your mind knowing that the guy used due force and everything was all well and good, so I wouldn't worry about your world view being shocked.

[DoNotRefill]

59. "something fishy was occuring..."

Ummm....doesn't having a bunch of people outside your house trying to get in when it's dark out constitute "something fishy"?

Did the guy have to actually wait until they were inside before he became concerned? He was asleep, and was woken up by people outside his house raising hell, and a 6'2" inch BIG (200 pounds) guy trying to get in his window. Should he have assumed they were just Mormon missionaries trying to "spread the word"?

Wouldn't the situation that happened here make a reasonable person think something very bad was happening? If you woke up in the middle of the night to your doorbell repeatedly ringing and saw some big-assed guy outside your window trying to get in, wouldn't YOU be scared? I would. That's a normal reaction.

These kids went out PLANNING to scare the hell out of people as a Halloween "prank". For some, that's what Halloween is all about. If you deliberately scare people, you need to take into consideration that the people you're trying to scare might actually get scared and react. There's tons of responsibility to spread around on this one, and the "kids" deserve a big fat chunk of it. They were NOT innocent victims. They deliberately scared the guy, with tragic results.

This reminds me of that Bear guy in Alaska a while back. He deliberately went into the bear's habitat, approached them, trying to prove a point that bears were not dangerous to humans. He took no precautions to ensure his safety. He's bearshit now.

[joshcryer]

71. What kind of 'precautions' should the pranksters should've taken?

Carrying guns, too? To shoot back just in case?

No, of course I wouldn't have been afraid. Unlike most Americans, I'm not afraid of trivial shit. Especially on a holiday when people do crazy stuff. You should see Bowling for Columbine. It makes the case, effectively, might I add, that Americans are scardy cats.

That's all it boils down to.

[DoNotRefill]

73. some simple precautions:

don't go around scaring the hell out of people as a "prank". Don't go around vandalizing other people's stuff. And don't go around burlarizing peoples houses.

pretty simple.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

53. I don't think going to the front door, opening it and then killing someone

outside can be constued as self defense.

That's Bush Logic. Preemptive self defense. We got a minority report here.

He might do me harm at some point, so I'll kill him.

I live in rural North Alabama and any redneck gun happy cop will tell you that if you shoot an evil doer outside, that you should break a window and drag the corpse into your house through the broken window before calling the police. I've actually been told that.

And to answer your question, until they were actually in my house and headed toward me with ill intent, I would NOT feel my life to be in danger. There are plenty of options (like the back door). If they frightened me by knocking on my door or peeking in my window and I went outside and shot one, I would be guilty of murder.

I'm sorry, but I find the idea of people shooting people to be a bad thing.

[DoNotRefill]

60. Why should he run away from his home...

because somebody was trying to break in?

That flies in the face of a millenium of common law.

And this guy didn't act preemptively. They were on his property trying to scare him. They obviously succeeded.

Acting preemptively would have been going out before these kids did anything and shooting them before they came onto his property, because they MIGHT come and scare him. That's not what happened. He was in his own home, minding his own business, sleeping. They came onto his property in the middle of the night with the INTENTION of at the very least irritating him, and much more likely with the intent to scare him. They did indeed scare him, with tragic results.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

61. If he had run out his back door, there would be a 16 year old boy

alive today that is not. There would be one less family in mourning.

I notice you use a Buddha avatar. I would think that the concept of the sanctity of life would be a bit more obvious. Or is there a sarcasm there that I just don't get.

[DoNotRefill]

64. So....when bad people come knocking...

you're supposed to run away?

When did THAT happen?

If people didn't try to rob liquer stores, armed robbers shot while robbing liquer stores would still be alive, wouldn't they?

And while Buddhism indeed does recognize the sanctity of life, it's a practical religion, and acknowledges that sometimes the taking of life is unavoidable. The GOAL is to not take life, but it isn't a suicide pact.

[pinniped]

66. We do now.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cpdrewes02nov02,0,7443883.story?coll=sfla-news-broward

[joshcryer]

72. All of DoNotRefill's little arguments are now effectively defunct.

As of this post.

[DoNotRefill]

76. That'd depend...

on the trajectory it took, wouldn't it? The bullet entered at the posterior right part of the chest at the shoulder blade. If the track was towards the anterior left chest, then he was shot from the side. If the bullet went to the anterior right side, then he was shot from behind. Which is it?

[joshcryer]

48. If you were scared...

...inside your house, without any obvious signs of intrusions... and you then followed this 'threat' outside, and shot it in the back as it scrambled away... I pity you.

[SammyWinstonJack]

38. Jesus!

What was wrong with just not answering the door? How about if he thought it was a burglar, don't answer the door and call 9ll? And I wasn't aware that burglars rang door bells. Someone comes to my door, if I don't know who they are, I don't answer the door, simple as that!

[pinniped]

40. Uh, wasn't the idea to knock and run away?

How did "shooter" just happen to answer the door and shoot the teen?

Was the teen just standing there at the door waiting to get wasted?

Was the teen fleeing when he was gunned down?

"In what has become a nightly event, teens gather on Woodbury Road in suburban Boca Raton,..."

Maybe "shooter" had his door knocked on a few times in the past and wanted someone to pay for interrupting him from his tv dinner.

[Cronus Protagonist]

43. Shhhhhh... telling the truth in the US today is tabooo (eom)

Click Here To See Fair & Balanced Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[DoNotRefill]

51. Media reports...

indicate that there was more than one kid at the scene pulling the "prank", and that the guy was asleep when it started. He apparently was woken up by the ringing doorbell, and then immediately saw the 6'2", 200 pound dead guy at his bedroom window trying to get in.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

54. And then WENT TO HIS FRONT DOOR, OPENED IT & SHOT THE KID.

In the back as he was runniong away according to witnesses.

[DoNotRefill]

63. The only witness...

was the other participant in the original crime. Gee, criminals have NEVER been known to lie to cover their own asses, have they?

[pinniped]

55. So now he's an "alleged" burglar trying to get into his window?

Where does it say he was trying to get into his window?

Link?

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/search/sfl-ppdefense31oct31,0,161344.story

"Previously, the neighbor who shot the teen reported vandalism at his house twice within the past four years, according to Palm Beach Sheriff's Office reports.

In March 2000, Levin told police a paint ball broke two windows in his home. In a second incident about a year later, he told deputies he found a hole in a bedroom window."

He was hassled previously and wanted some payback.

[DoNotRefill]

62. From the article you linked to:

"Jay Levin, 40, told police he was awakened by knocking and saw Mark Drewes' 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame in his window. Levin said he thought he saw something in Drewes' hand, opened his door and fired. He then called 911 and told dispatchers he had just shot a burglar. The teen with Drewes that night said he and his friend began running away when they saw the gun. Drewes, the friend said, was shot in the back."

According to that, the guy saw the kid outside his window and thought he was an armed burglar. According to the part of the article you quoted, this guy had several windows broken out by paintballs, and a hole (presumably from a bullet, a rock would have broken the entire thing, not just knocked a hole in it) knocked in another window. If your house had previously been shot at, and you awoke to somebody ringing your doorbell and another guy standing outside your window with what looked like something in your hand, don't you think that you MIGHT consider that it could be the people who shot your house beforehand coming to YOU for "payback" for reporting them before? Don't you think that he could have REASONABLY assumed, given that his house had been shot at before, that his life might very well have been in danger?

[pinniped]

65. Oh, so now it's OUTSIDE HIS WINDOW.

Other posts you say the kid was trying to GET IN HIS WINDOW.

Which is it?

Apparently we're not reading the same article. Please post a link to the article you're reading.

A bullet? And where did this magical 800fps+ bullet come to rest after it made that hole in his window?

As to your last statements, I would make damm sure an TRUE THREAT exists. Apparently that was not the case here. This guy just opened the door and fired. No one was trying to GET IN his window, unless you can point me to your article which says otherwise.

Sorry, your shooter shot the kid in the back:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cpdrewes02nov02,0,7443883.story?coll=sfla-news-broward

[Paladin]

68. Ummmmm...Know What I Think, "Do Not Refill"?

I think you're going to maintain that this home owmer did a laudatory thing in wasting that kid, no matter what the circumstances turn out to be.

[DoNotRefill]

74. Where have I said it's laudatory?

Understandable, yes. Laudatory, no.

[Paladin]

77. Ummmmmmmmm.....Laudatory's As Good A Word As Any

You're doing your best to support the notion that the proper penalty for some minor delinquency is death. Contemptible.

[classics]

70. They wont say what the kids were doing.

There are glaring contridictions here. Nobody will ever mention what the kids may or may not have actually been doing, they only have the word of the other kid to go on.

Kids of that age are hardly 'pranksters' in many areas. It is something they would claim later though if the sh*t hit the fan, like it did here.

[DoNotRefill]

75. But wait!!!

the 16 year old, 6'2" tall, 200 pound guy was SUPER-NEATO according to his parents, who admit that he had a history of being a juvenile delinquent.

I did stupid stuff as a kid. My parents didn't know 1/10th of what I was up to. I doubt that this kid's parents did either. If they knew this kid was into vandalism, why didn't they do something about it? Why did they let a 16 year old kid be out at midnight scaring people?

[The_Casual_Observer]

56. The asshole finally got to use his gun

& shot a kid. I hope he feels like he got his monies worth now.

[TahitiNut]

57. Link

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/South/10/31/prankster.killed.ap/

So much discussion and nobody asked for the link? :eyes:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

58. Good god, I DID leave the link off the original post! Sorry!

Is there a "DOH!" emoticon?

[MisterP]

78. Hospital reports he was shot in the back

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=195627

sfg25 beat me to it on the Sun-Sentinel link, but here's another thread anyhoo