View Full Version : Ten Year Old Shoots Home Invader in Face
There are many internet claims of this type but I've not been able to verify any of them. This one happened about 35 miles from my home and made the news. And a good time was had by all. Well, all but three. ;)
http://www.wafb.com/global/story.asp?s=10741492
And it's made the front page of Digg:
http://digg.com/people/Child_shoots_..._home_break_in
PORT ALLEN, LA (WAFB) - A ten-year-old boy left home alone with his sister used his mother's gun to shoot an intruder in the face, police said.
Late Tuesday, West Baton Rouge Parish sheriff's deputies received a call to a Port Allen apartment complex after several shots rang out from inside one of the apartments. "You are out here trying to work and for someone to come and do that and invade your home is very hard," the children's mother said. She asked to not be identified.
Deputies say Dean Favron and Roderick Porter knocked several times on the apartment door. The two young children, a ten-year-old boy and eight-year-old girl, stood on the other side, terrified. "He told his sister to be quiet and seconds later, they started kicking on the door and finally kicked the door in," said Sheriff Mike Cazes. The two children ran to their mother's bedroom closet.
In a panic, the ten-year-old grabbed his mother's gun for protection. "He did what I told him to do. I never told him to get the gun, but thank God he did," she said. Once the two suspects opened the door, threatening the kids, deputies say the boy fired a bullet into the lip of Roderick Porter. The two men were taken to the hospital by a third suspect, who is a 15-year-old juvenile. Once they got to the hospital, they were later arrested. "It's just hard. I don't understand why they would do that. I know they have little brothers and sisters and they wouldn't want anyone to break into their house," said the mother.
Each man is held on $150,000 bond. The juvenile, was taken to a local detention center. One of the suspects, Dean Favron, just finished serving almost seven years in prison for aggravated assault on a Baton Rouge police officer and two carjacking charges. He was released on June 6th.
Both men will appear before a judge next month.
I am glad the kiddos are alright, aside from years of trauma to have to overcome, but what the hell is a 10 yo doing with access to a gun? This could go either way. Yay a self defense shooting gone good.........Or another irresponsible parent failing to lock up the weapons properly.
RogerinTPA
07-19-09, 21:26
Most excellent!:cool:
That isn't even the major point here. What is a 10 year old and 8 year old doing at home by themselves? Let's start there.
That's way too rational of a thought for some of the occupants of this land now-a-days...(not pointing fingers to anyone in this thread by anymeans BTW)
thopkins22
07-20-09, 01:52
That isn't even the major point here. What is a 10 year old and 8 year old doing at home by themselves? Let's start there.
Agreed. What were they doing with access to a gun? Gee, I don't know. Perhaps they were defending themselves effectively.
I had access to 100% of the guns in my house as a child. And yet I never once touched them without permission. I got permission all the time, so there was no need to be sneaky or stupid.
That isn't even the major point here. What is a 10 year old and 8 year old doing at home by themselves? Let's start there.
What if there's no dad in the picture? Mom has to work to feed the kids, no relatives to take care of them, gotta leave the kids at home.
ZDL, you're right on the money.
I am glad the kiddos are alright, aside from years of trauma to have to overcome
What trauma?
Come on now... Babysitters, neighbors, day care, church programs, etc.... No excuse. The mothers lack of planning is no excuse for putting the kids in danger.
I was thinking thew same thing. Lucky in this case it turned out OK.
That isn't even the major point here. What is a 10 year old and 8 year old doing at home by themselves? Let's start there.
When I was a kid, I was left home (as oldest) with my siblings all the time. I was a year or two older, probably around 11 or 12, at the last incident I remember when the cops were called ;-). Not the whole day as my mom did not work but when she needed to run errands or whatever. And my folks were left alone as kids as well. We handled it quite OK thank you.
Chad
(the incident with the cops being called was so: I was probably 11 or 12 -- my baby sister was still in diapers and she was born when I was 10 -- and my folks went out Christmas shopping or something in the Fall and left us home. Total of 4 kids. We were fine and there were no issues. However, my cousin, who was an adult college age kid had taken the bus to a nearby city and was wanting my parents to come pick her up. She kept calling and I kept saying that my parents were gone shopping. Finally, like 10 pm or so, we had all fallen asleep and I did not answer her phone call so she called the police. I woke up to find 2 officers wandering around looking to make sure we were ok. They were satisfied everything was OK and left and then my cousin showed up having gotten a ride and my folks showed up at the same time she arrived. This was around 77 or 78)
MarshallDodge
07-20-09, 12:07
Good for the kid.
As long as I can remember, I have had access to guns. When I was 13, we moved into a new house and my dad did not know where to hang his small gun rack. We ended up hanging it in my bedroom. It started off with a Winchester 69A 22 and a couple pellet guns but as the years progressed it carried an AR-15 and a Springfield 03-A3. When friends came over they would :eek:
Train your child to be responsible and make the right decisions, it may surprise you on what they are capable of doing. :)
Good for the kid! The BG's got what they had coming!
I was left home as a kid this same age, however, it was a different world than it is today, and I probably wouldn't leave my kids like that.
As far as access to the gun, he obviously knew how to effectively use it. And who am I to judge, I had my OWN guns at 10! .22's and 12ga pumps!
-RD62
geminidglocker
07-20-09, 15:57
I'm glad the children were not harmed. Yes, I too was allowed to be home alone sometimes as a kid when I was ten. I do agree with ZDL.
Of course they required supervision. What is there to debate? No children should be alone at that age for more than an extremely short period of time, whether it this year or yesteryear. Societies failures aside, it's just a bad idea.
Potential shootings aside, who deals with the 8 year old if he cuts himself and is bleeding profusely? Maybe a fire is started by accident while cooking? Saving the home from burning down while saving a younger sibling something a 10 year old is prepared to do?
Please.
Of course they required supervision. What is there to debate? No children should be alone at that age for more than an extremely short period of time, whether it this year or yesteryear. Societies failures aside, it's just a bad idea.
Potential shootings aside, who deals with the 8 year old if he cuts himself and is bleeding profusely? Maybe a fire is started by accident while cooking? Saving the home from burning down while saving a younger sibling something a 10 year old is prepared to do?
Please.
Glad it is so black and white to you.
Kids are a lot more responsible, resourceful, etc than you would give them credit for, or at least used to be when we extended them trust and responsibility.
It is not automatic that these kids "require" supervision at 10 years old for the oldest. as long as they know the neighbors, and what to do in an emergency, they could be fine. As has been told here, lots of us did just fine when we were kids and left alone for longer periods of time.
In certain parts of the country I would bet it is still fine. In other parts, not so. A lot of it depends on the kids. If they are never given responsibility and trust, have to always be disciplined, etc, then no way. But on the other hand, if they can be trusted, this is no more dangerous than leaving an older kid.
On your examples, why would they be cooking to start a fire? Why would they be playing with knives? If you don't trust your kid to stay away from trouble while you are gone then yes, your kids need supervision. Not all kids are like that. This is not a clear cut situation.
These kids obviously did just fine even in an extreme situation.
At 9 I got my Remington 582. Maybe not the most impressive gun, but it was mine 100% including responsibility for safety and the ammo. Left at home at that age, sure . . . frequently. My folks taught me to be responsible, treat my own wounds, do my own laundry, cook, clean up after myself. . . .
I don't agree with all this "hand wringing what is a kid doing home alone pansy poop" . .. yeah sure in this day and age Child Protective Services will probably take the kids and they will use a SWAT team when they do (because they know a gun is in the house) Everybody will be put at risk and it will be an utter and complete waste of resources, in a case where the children have obviously PASSED the "did your momma raise you right test". Heck, the kid didn't even miss! Give the kid a good citizenship award and lets move on.
On your examples, why would they be cooking to start a fire? Why would they be playing with knives? If you don't trust your kid to stay away from trouble while you are gone then yes, your kids need supervision. Not all kids are like that. This is not a clear cut situation.
Yes...who, what, when, where and how. All the questions you can answer for family services as they come for an explanation after the police take their report of the accident.
Even the best behaved child can indulge in behavior, which mom and dad may do all the time, that they simply do not understand the repercussions of if not done properly.
Are there laws preventing such scenarios? Give any credibility to them?
Yes...who, what, when, where and how. All the questions you can answer for family services as they come for an explanation after the police take their report of the accident.
Even the best behaved child can indulge in behavior, which mom and dad may do all the time, that they simply do not understand the repercussions of if not done properly.
Are there laws preventing such scenarios? Give any credibility to them?
If you don't trust your kid, don't leave him him at home. If, on the other hand, he is responsible, and as the above poster said, his "momma raised him right", then maybe it might just be OK.
It has nothing to do with being well behaved, it has to do with responsibility and trust, something I am working on instilling into my kid way before 10. We'll see how it turns out.
If you never trust a kid, he will never learn trust and responsibility.
Too many panty-waist adults butting their noses in with their own opinions on things is what child protective services and all the nosy snoops who go around reporting things to them are.
Too many panty-waist adults butting their noses in with their own opinions on things is what child protective services and all the nosy snoops who go around reporting things to them are.
Sure, there are lot's of "panty-waist adults" out there, but generally speaking it is still a legitimately bad idea to leave any 8 year old in the care of a 10 year old for over an hour. I believe that is the law here in NJ, and personally I agree with it.
On your examples, why would they be cooking to start a fire? Why would they be playing with knives? If you don't trust your kid to stay away from trouble while you are gone then yes, your kids need supervision. Not all kids are like that. This is not a clear cut situation.
These kids obviously did just fine even in an extreme situation.
cause they are KIDS !!!!
not sure if you have any or ages ? but I have never met a kid who has not tried things he has been told not to ?
and if you think yours are perfect ! I would love to see a hidden camera of what they really do when you are gone !
kids are kids !!!!!!
also in my past when I worked on Medic rigs one call that will haunt me to this day was a few kids who were left home alone ! when the one who was bout 6-7 years old could not fully see the saimen he tried to tip the pot to see it !
scalding water all down him !!!!! lucky the other kid had the wits to call 911 but it was a bit to late
young teens might be OK on their own but pre teens are just to young to be left alone IMHO and even with a young teen they are to predisposed to take care of little ones
Sure, there are lot's of "panty-waist adults" out there, but generally speaking it is still a legitimately bad idea to leave any 8 year old in the care of a 10 year old for over an hour. I believe that is the law here in NJ, and personally I agree with it.
Glad I don't live in NJ. Nanny state mentality. Such a law does nothing but make criminals out of good people who have done nothing wrong in reality, just on paper.
I always find it humorous when people here argue that the exception is the rule and everyone else be damned.
Not too long ago, it was the rule that most 10 year olds could be left at home and have a low risk of getting hurt. Either from themselves or other unsavory individuals.
Today, it's just not so. Eguns, I to am attempting to teach my child responsibility and trust but you have to realize that is foreign language among a large share of our population nowadays.
I baker acted an 11 year old with bi-polar disorder :rolleyes: for trying to kill himself over a video game last Thursday. A similar occurrence happens about 3 times a week or so in our department. I'm pretty damn sure 90% of these children with "bi-polar" "ADD" "depression" could be cured with 2" belt.
Very rarely do I run across children under 10 years old that I'm impressed with. 12 years old it starts getting a little better. Not great, but better. That isn't even the real point, however. I've watched first hand my town go from mayberry to........ not mayberry. It's a shit world some places. I feel uneasy leaving my firearms trained and carrying wife, child, and dog at home in our gated neighborhood. Don't get me started on her going to the grocery store etc. by herself. Most of us here carry guns for a reason. Danger exists at an exponential rate compared to "the old days". We do what we can and limit risk everywhere possible so I find it strange that in today's world people are advocating leaving a 10 year old with an 8 year old at home by themselves as a rule. It has nothing to do with the age or maturity level of the children. Look at the kid in this story. 11 shades of badass he shot that ****er in the face. Good on him and damn, I'm happy but wow.... I can't understand how a parent would consider it prudent to leave them home by themselves. Even if the kid was super secret ninja kid.
So, let's not beat down each others door here with tales of old and sampling sizes of one. The harsh and disgusting reality of today is, most children under the age of 10 are probably of the mental maturity that 5 year olds were 30 years ago and crime type and/or frequency is at a far more advanced stage.
For the most part, the members of this forum are old fashioned in the ways of bringing up a child and/or come from a time where you could leave your door unlocked and trust a neighbor. It's sometimes easy to forget that times have changed and we are becoming and in some cases have already became, the minority.
I am not saying all 10 year old kids should be left alone. I am speaking out against criminalizing every case of leaving a 10 year old kid home. Each kid and situation is different. We don't need laws against it nor do we need people not involved to be second guessing others in similar situations.
And for Honu -- I do have kids. Not yet 10. My oldest is 6. While I would not leave him alone home now for more than about 3 minutes to run out and get the mail, we'll have to see how it is when he is 10 -- part of it depends on the environment we live in and part of it on the kid.
Well, I'm from down here and the poverty is and has been as common as oxygen in the air. It's far from rare to have young kids at home with both parents working and even more so with broken families. The same is true for Southeastern Michigan now that the auto industry has started it's massive layoffs which results in societal regurgitations. It may be FAR from the ideal but times are, indeed, tough and we need to raise our kids with this in mind. In short, teach them maturity, responsibility and courage. That won't happen easily but times are no longer easy.
I watch my 14 year old nephew - smart as a whip - but totally lackadaisical, selfish, lazy and mind numb to the world around him. It's all about video games, his iPod and his friends on Facebook. Obviously, it's okay with his parents who are ruining a potentially fine young man. He could no more fend for himself than I could traverse the Amazon Rain Forest and I don't find that fact flattering in the least. He's awesome in school but he lacks a depth of maturity that is slow in coming. I try to work with him but when he's around his mother he reverts to "stupidity".
We always knew where the shotgun was when I was growing up. There's no way in Hell we'd touch it but my brother and sisters were always with me. If something like that were happening when I was ten I did know where it was and knew how to load it. What I didn't know was the brutal recoil and blast effects. But that's all what was available.
Things have changed in society and not for the better. I'll bet everyone of us had grandparents who did things prior to their teens that would stupify the mind-numbed youth (and Child Protective Services) of today out of necessity...
That isn't even the major point here. What is a 10 year old and 8 year old doing at home by themselves? Let's start there.
Single mom working a job that pays minimum wage or maybe a little more trying to get by. My wife has worked jobs that barely paid more than daycare cost. During the school year it wasn't to bad but summer time sucked. There were a few years when she just quit her job and stayed home with the kids. Thank goodness we are past those years now.
Very motivating discussion. Just one thing that irritates me.
I'm pretty damn sure 90% of these children with "bi-polar" "ADD" "depression" could be cured with 2" belt. ZDL.
Am I reading you correctly here that you think the above mentioned disorders can really be treated by hitting the children with a belt?
I am not ZDL but yes, very judicious use of spanking works wonders. Lots of the problems today with youth are because they were not spanked as a kid -- the parents indulged them and they became self centered little SOBs.
I strongly disagree and would like to point out that violence to adolescents has long-term effects. And by that I mean what goes around comes around...
We are not talking about beating your kids and child abuse. We are talking about judicious use of spanking for discipline. Kids raised that way tend to be model citizens later in life, not the problem children.
Nevertheless no offense intended, really.
Luckily my parents never beat me. A friend of mine from Sierra Leone was beaten severly as a child. He ended up being a substance abuser, but this is not directed toward you.
We are not talking about beating your children. We are talking about establishing authority and having a form of discipline to back it up.
Beating your kids won't get you anywhere. Judicious spanking will.
The science on this has been out for a while. If you are thinking I advocate the abuse of a child, you are way off base. Spanking an 8 year old for disobeying is different than drilling him across the back with a 2x4.
I agree 100%
A child does not think logically and cannot be reasoned with. His brain has not developed to that point. They need to be taught limits and acceptable behavior and judicious use of spanking can reinforce that as the kid has a very definite reminder of where the boundaries are in a way that they can understand.
I was spanked as a kid. Not often, but as necessary. I turned out OK as did my siblings, all my friends, and every one else I know who was spanked in an appropriate way.
Trying to bribe your kids with iPods etc as ZDL mentions above only reinforces bad behavior. The kids learn that bad behavior leads to bribes to be good.
Yes...who, what, when, where and how. All the questions you can answer for family services as they come for an explanation after the police take their report of the accident.
Even the best behaved child can indulge in behavior, which mom and dad may do all the time, that they simply do not understand the repercussions of if not done properly.
Are there laws preventing such scenarios? Give any credibility to them?
wow, sounds like your thought "rationale" ( if there is any ) is purely on the side of big brother. Children of their age through the annal's of time have "killed" in defense of their family,or at least to hunt to put dinner on the plate.
your train of thought,my friend,reek's exactly of the nanny state cowardice that has gotten this country into the sad,pathetic state it is currently in.
FYI,my 11 yr old is an All-Star Little League player,Boy Scout, A student who happen's to be the Man of the house when i (daddy) is not around. Me being a former United States Marine , who has trained my boy's in the art of trigger-pulling,would not,for a second,if confronted by an intruder in their own home,second guess their action's of blowing some piece of garbage away.actually,i'd congratulate them!.
Anyone who think's child services or whatever "big brother agency " has the right to tell us law abiding citizen's otherwise,has no ball's.f*ck what your local "big-brother" says. you are a fag and you shouldn't be allowed around "real" men.( let alone firearm's )
As for law's,mine are The Constitution,The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Right's. Maybe all the Nanny-State fruit-cakes should read those document's thoroughly before they go polluting pro-second ammendment websites with their ignorance.
Well, all three goblins are accounted for. One was hit in the lip and the other in the ass as he beat a hasty retreat. Bastard wasn't fast enough, though. I'd say he did swell. I know someone who lives in the general neighborhood and they say that he appears to be a normal kid but very mature relative to the other kids in the area. How's that for a gamey little Southerner? :D God loves fire breathers (I know because he told me so ;) ) and I think this kid is one if there ever was.
I dunno about what age a child should be allowed to do (fill in the blank). It depends on the maturity of the child, obviously, but the "rules" are simplified to make it "easier" to make the call. I understand that BUT... my father has had a job since he was 7 yrs old. He lied about his age to join the Navy at 17 yrs of age. He was obviously more mature than I at the same age. Many persons who grew up on a farm were far more mature than, say, my nephew. So I'll not judge the woman nor can I wholly agree with many who take issue with him being at home alone.
Maybe all the Nanny-State fruit-cakes should read those document's thoroughly before they go polluting pro-second ammendment websites with their ignorance.
Referring to me, are you chief? Maybe I will respond now that you have at least partially mastered proper grammar and punctuation.
I am no fu*king fruit cake, and the ignorance is abundant with you and you only. Neither you nor anybody here can tell me that a child is as adept at handling an emergency as an adult. Are some children more mature and generally capable than others, absolutely. I would never, ever deny this. But, what does that really mean in this specific instance overall?
If the child accidentally shot his sibling while attempting to defend the home, who would be to blame? The child? Instead of a thread stating what a great job the boy did, it would be one of disdain for the child being left alone to fend for himself in the face of such danger. Or maybe an absolute genius like yourself would blame the fully capable 10 year old for not executing the defensive measures properly?
With stretched logic such as yours, one can assume 10 year olds are ready for just about anything, so let them have at it. Maybe children police officers and firefighters, because you said it's ok. How about child politicians? Now there is a real chance at something better all things considered, but the workload might be a bit much with school and all.
I could see the same lame-ass argument being used in some court case where a person is accused of sexual behavior with a minor because the distorted wack job insists that the child is wiser and more mature than most. Therefore, they should be the exception to the rule.
Think I am reaching? Not by a long shot. A child is a child in the eyes of the law, and most of the time that is for good reason. I will never baby my 5 year old as he grows, but at the same time I will never leave him susceptible to unnecessary dangers just because I thinks it's probably going to be ok.
You are right on the money. The real issue here is that two children were left neglected, with access to a loaded handgun that was not properly secured. Another issue here that hasn't been addressed. These three scumbags went to this house with a purpose, not on accident. Looking for their crack? Their drug money? I think their relationship with the mother needs more serious scrutiny and these kids might be better off in foster care.
Referring to me, are you chief? Maybe I will respond now that you have at least partially mastered proper grammar and punctuation.
I am no fu*king fruit cake, and the ignorance is abundant with you and you only. Neither you nor anybody here can tell me that a child is as adept at handling an emergency as an adult. Are some children more mature and generally capable than others, absolutely. I would never, ever deny this. But, what does that really mean in this specific instance overall?
If the child accidentally shot his sibling while attempting to defend the home, who would be to blame? The child? Instead of a thread stating what a great job the boy did, it would be one of disdain for the child being left alone to fend for himself in the face of such danger. Or maybe an absolute genius like yourself would blame the fully capable 10 year old for not executing the defensive measures properly?
With stretched logic such as yours, one can assume 10 year olds are ready for just about anything, so let them have at it. Maybe children police officers and firefighters, because you said it's ok. How about child politicians? Now there is a real chance at something better all things considered, but the workload might be a bit much with school and all.
I could see the same lame-ass argument being used in some court case where a person is accused of sexual behavior with a minor because the distorted wack job insists that the child is wiser and more mature than most. Therefore, they should be the exception to the rule.
Think I am reaching? Not by a long shot. A child is a child in the eyes of the law, and most of the time that is for good reason. I will never baby my 5 year old as he grows, but at the same time I will never leave him susceptible to unnecessary dangers just because I thinks it's probably going to be ok.
wow , where does a rational , logical adult begin to dissect this train wreck ? uuummm , what's your reading comprehension level?
well , here goes. first off , your emotional fueled tangent is filled with insult's and just fluffed with alot of "what if's?", "what could have hapened",yadda yadda yadda.
Let's stick to the fact's and just the fact's. think you can do that?( or will this response cause you to go on another illogical,estrogen fueled wah wah fest ).
The fact's are : 1. A group of men attempted to burglarize/victimize a family.
2. As a result of quick thinking on the part of the 10 yr old boy,the attack was repelled by whatever mean's was available to the family/childen at that paticular moment in time.
As a result of this courageous young lad's action's,he ensured the safety of his family.PERIOD.BOTTOM LINE. Do not try to put any nanny-state spin of "what if's" on it.American history has shown that free men are perfectly capable of handling their own security.
Now,let's address your twisted version of reality. Do you have a family? If so , if they were ever thrust into that same situation , what would you have them do ? Roll over on their back's and beg their attacker's for mercy?
wow , where does a rational , logical adult begin to dissect this train wreck ? uuummm , what's your reading comprehension level?
well , here goes. first off , your emotional fueled tangent is filled with insult's and just fluffed with alot of "what if's?", "what could have hapened",yadda yadda yadda.
Let's stick to the fact's and just the fact's. think you can do that?( or will this response cause you to go on another illogical,estrogen fueled wah wah fest ).
The fact's are : 1. A group of men attempted to burglarize/victimize a family.
2. As a result of quick thinking on the part of the 10 yr old boy,the attack was repelled by whatever mean's was available to the family/childen at that paticular moment in time.
As a result of this courageous young lad's action's,he ensured the safety of his family.PERIOD.BOTTOM LINE. Do not try to put any nanny-state spin of "what if's" on it.American history has shown that free men are perfectly capable of handling their own security.
Now,let's address your twisted version of reality. Do you have a family? If so , if they were ever thrust into that same situation , what would you have them do ? Roll over on their back's and beg their attacker's for mercy?
Because I was able to decipher most of this, I can confidently designate you the most two dimensional ideologue here in the forums. Sincerest congratulations.
And to think you show such thin skin complaining about what I wrote after your assault on me is laughable. Don't dish it out if you can't take it.
As far as your last question about what would I want my kids to do, that is really irrelevant. If my two children were ever in an identical predicament, then despite their relative success, I have still failed miserably as a parent regardless for allowing them to be in that circumstance in the first place.
Another issue here that hasn't been addressed. These three scumbags went to this house with a purpose, not on accident. Looking for their crack? Their drug money? I think their relationship with the mother needs more serious scrutiny and these kids might be better off in foster care.
I think we need to stop the wild speculation. It was a clean shooting. You don't have access to the news events because you're not in Baton Rouge. It's all clear. Two goblins injured with a pistol during home invasion. Period.
I am glad the kiddos are alright, aside from years of trauma to have to overcome, but what the hell is a 10 yo doing with access to a gun? This could go either way. Yay a self defense shooting gone good.........Or another irresponsible parent failing to lock up the weapons properly.
i had access to a gun when i was 10. i turned out ok.
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