A Child with a Gun

Another tragedy involving a child and a firearm: An eight-year-old Arizona boy has been charged with two counts of premeditated murder after shooting his father and another man. Vincent Romero, 29, was an avid hunter who taught his son how to use a .22-caliber rifle and encouraged him to kill prairie dogs. On Wednesday the boy trained the gun's sights on the man who gave him the weapon. St. Johns Police Chief Roy Melnick said that the child did not act on the spur of the moment, and added, "I'm not accusing anybody of anything at this point. But we're certainly going to look at the abuse part of this. He's 8 years old. He just doesn't decide one day that he's going to shoot his father and shoot his father's friend for no reason."  From CNN:  In a sign of the emotional and legal complexities of the case, police are pushing to have the boy tried as an adult even as they investigate possible abuse, Melnick said. If convicted as a minor, the boy could be sent to juvenile detention until he turns 18. Police had responded to calls of domestic violence at the Romero home, but authorities were searching records Saturday to determine when those calls were placed, Melnick said. 

A priest at St. Johns Catholic Church has said that the boy "was just too young. ... That child, I don't think he knows what he did."  I'm going to disagree with that statement.  I was ten years old when my father bought me a .22 rifle and taught me how to use it.  Several times a week he accompanied me to the pasture behind our house where I was allowed to shoot at targets - under his strict supervision.  (I had been given a BB gun for Christmas a few years earlier which sat gathering dust in my closet.)  My dad wanted me to hunt, wanted me to enjoy hunting, and although I wasn't drawn to the idea of killing animals, I feigned interest in my brand new rifle to please him.  (Continued, after the jump.)

Our first official squirrel hunting trip wasn't a success.  We sat on a felled tree in the woods and watched the sun come up.  We drank coffee from a thermos.  We spoke in whispers.  I liked that part.  But then a squirrel appeared.  With my dad's encouragement, I took aim and fired.  I missed.  And throughout that long morning I kept missing the furry targets.  This frustrated my old man because he knew that my aim was pretty good.  When he eventually twigged to the fact that I was missing on purpose, he didn't say anything except, "Let's go home."  And we walked in silence to the truck.

There's a reason why my BB gun was seldom taken out of the closet. I shot a bird once in the backyard, and the experience wasn't pleasant.  My mom found me sitting under her clothesline holding the tiny carcass in my hand.  I was crying.  My mom tut-tutted and sent me inside to wash my hands, saying, "What did that little bird ever do to hurt you?" 

Some life lessons stick.  I knew what I'd done - and I realized that a gun's sole purpose is to kill.  Despite what that priest at St. Johns believes, the Romero boy knew this also.

Related Post:  8-Year-Old Killed by Uzi at Gun Show

Comments

[Sam]

If there was abuse going on there might be some justification for the murders, but the kid knew what he was doing.

[Bee Girl]

Children owning guns. *sigh* I just don't understand it.

[Nemo]

My dad taught my older brother to hunt. When Curt shot his first squirrel, he showed it proudly to our dad. Dad then had Curt skin and dress that squirrel right on the spot.

Which put Curt off shooting squirrels for the rest of his life.

As it turns out, Curt's life wasn't all that long. In October 1971, when he was nineteen, he was shot and killed by his best friend in a duck-hunting accident.

From my dad, an ex-Marine who never got over his son's death, I learned one very important lesson about guns: Guns are made to kill. And you don't point a gun at any living being-- animal or human-- unless you intend to kill that living being.

From my job, then (I edit court cases for a major legal publisher), I have learned a second, fundamental lesson: More guns equals more people getting shot. It's that simple.

Children should not have guns.

And very few adults should have them.

If you're one of the fervid defenders of the muddily worded Second Amendment, and you're fine with people getting shot, then it's alright. Me, if I had a dime for every time I've read of what should have been a simple domestic dispute ending in a shooting death, or a squabble between acquaintances that could have ended with a black eye or a bloody nose and instead terminated, fatally, in gunfire, I could retire now, at the age of forty-four, a comfortably well-off woman. At the very least, gun-related injuries cost our health and legal systems-- and, therefore, us-- millions of wasted dollars annually.

That little boy had no business having a gun. Few adults possess the discipline, intelligence, and maturity essential to responsible firearms use. Children, even the most precocious, even the most supposedly high-achieving darlings, are not mature. They are given to impulse; they do not understand the consequences of their actions. Combine guns with the traits of childhood, and you invite tragedy.

As we've seen. Children should not have guns. Period.

[Charles]

I was taught to use, care for, and respect firearms at about the same age as the boy in this tragic incident. I have safely owned and operated firearms for most of my life (I am now 32). Outside of my military service I have never used or even pointed a firearm at another person and I fervently hope I never have to do so.

So when I reead comments like the one above I get a bit perturbed. If few adults possess the abilty to responsibly own and operate firearms, then why aren't there millions more accidents and shootings considering the number of privately owned firearms in this country. There is some kind of disconnect there. Go to any firearms range on a Saturday morning and you will see dozens if not hundreds of adults and children engaged in safe, enjoyable, and responsilbe firearms use.

Following the above posters logic to it's ultimate ends, few adults "possess the discipline, intelligence, and maturity essential " to operate -insert complex mechanical device here- . Considering the fatalities caused by automobiles and motorcycles, I think those would fit this definition.

Punishing the many for the acts of the few or blaming an object for the act of a person are both, well, lack of a better wrod, irresponsible.

[Deena]

You say you learned what killing was after you killed the bird and you were 10. But, your dad spent a lot of time with you teaching you. And, you didn't have a strange man move into your house. We don't know what happened, but we do know that an 8-yr-old kid is not an adult. And, he deserves his family with him when the police are questioning him and then want to charge him with murder, as an adult. We as a society really need to think about what we are doing with, and to, our children.

I'm not advocating no guns, just promoting responsibility. A little common sense wouldn't hurt either.

[Max P.]

No, I got the rifle when I was ten. The BB gun I killed the bird with I'd had for several years before that - and I was seven when that happened. And, I did not express an opinion on whether this boy should be tried as an adult. All I said was that the kid knew that guns are for killing. (After all, he'd been killing prairie dogs with his.) The first time you hold a dead animal in your hands, an animal that you've shot, you know what's happened. I was taking issue with the priest who said that the boy didn't know what he did. Because he did know.

[sandy valencour]

I guess I am in the outfield. I firmly believe in children understanding what a gun is, what it does, how to use it and have it locked up at all times unless an adult is there. Native Americans raise their children with guns from the time they can walk and you NEVER hear of an accidental shooting among children and I repeat NEVER. City children have no need to know all this crap til older and Dad or Mom gives proper training and as far as I know, very few 16 year old city kids are responsible enough to handle guns.
You all think this child was scared because 2 armed policemen asked questions? Give me a break!!! The kid lived with firearms. This priest is an idiot. Why, you say? I am catholic and the total age of reason was 6 in my day and raised to 7 in my 37 year old daughters day!!!
You don't think this kid knew what he was doing? Bull, he had been killing innocent animals for a while and even a 22 does pretty good damage to a small gopher!
Give the kid excuses! Like this will HELP him. Funny his mom had just visited. Funny nothing said by the step mom. There is a lot of info missing from this case but I am no one to let this kid skate free and clear due to age or circumstances. At least half the population survived abuse at the hands of parents (abuse as described by todays ideas) and we didn't kill 2 people in cold blood. This child could be a sociopath, although under the age of 18 they have another name for it. There is just too much info being hidden and too many excuses already offered up to spring this kid. This is the LAST THING that should happen. For whatever reason this child murdered these 2, there is a reason...mentally or whatever but to get him off will NOT help him.
My heart hurts for him and his family but did mom's visit have anything to do with it? The other thing that bothers me is Native kids must dress and eat their kill. My son learned very young about this fact and he has never killed anything since. Talks about it but shows no interest what so ever and he is in his 30's. He was raised with guns. ( I am anti gun but had to adjust thinking when reality of sorts hit me in the head, long story) I live in a city now and don't believe in guns for kids. My son was in Montana when he made his first "kill" as a "man" of 5 years old. No, I wasn't there but his dad was and I reinforced his dad's words by phone that he had to dress and eat his kill as it was the way it was!!! And it worked out for me as he doesn't need the meat and doesn't need to kill. He saw what a gun does to a living animal. Actually, this whole thing makes me so mad I could spit. I go to AZ often to Phoenix and Sedona and Flagstaff. These areas are becoming very crowded with people wandering around loose in wild areas. I can only hope and pray this child gets HELP and serves some kind of sentence. And tell the priest, we don't change church laws (that the church made) to accomodate individuals so he better call the vatican and get a change. This means children in the church can not receive the sacriment of communion til much older than 7, huh???? I had to know right from wrong at the age of 6 and I DID!

[sandy valencour]

Oh, I am not anti gun. I am for gun responsiblity. Granted, in big towns we don't see much of that what with drive by shootings etc. My guns have trigger locks, ammunition some place else and all are locked up as I have grandchildren now. They don't even know I have guns and will never know because no one will ever find them. Safety is a big thing and responsiblity is top priority. I am also for gun control on AK47 etc. A gun is for protection or hunting and you don't need any automatic weapon for that. If you do, then you better go back to the gun range and practice til you can hit the center with one shot! Automatic weapons while hunting only destroys the meat and if you don't need meat, you should not kill anything

[Xtina]

The kid is 8 years old, but the cops want to try him as an adult? Let's try this again: THE KID IS 8 YEARS OLD! Of what possible good could it be to put a child his age through the adult penal system?! Please read Gitta Sereny's book, "Mary Belle". Not the book she did on the case in the 70's - a more recent one. It is the most sensible analysis of what is at stake that I have found.

Of course something else is going on here - perhaps child abuse of a sexual nature? What would bring a kid to do something like that were it not something that overwhelmed him and made him feel powerless and that killing the men was the only out for him? Hopefully this all comes out in the wash.

[Charles]

What a masterful display of firearms ignorance.

"I am also for gun control on AK47 etc. A gun is for protection or hunting and you don't need any automatic weapon for that. If you do, then you better go back to the gun range and practice til you can hit the center with one shot! Automatic weapons while hunting only destroys the meat and if you don't need meat, you should not kill anything"

Just so everyone knows, automatic weapons have been tightly regulated since the National Firearms Act of 1934. They can be owned legally, but it is incredibly time consuming and expensive to jump through all the hoops to do so, not to mention how expensive the weapon itself is going to be.(easily into the thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars) I think most people don't understand what an "automatic weapon" really does. Go look at wikipedia or something before you shoot your mouth off. Besides, considering the low accuracy of the AK-47 at medium to long ranges, you'd be a fool to hunt with it.

[Fred Friederich]

If I want i can kill a person, lets try a carpenter hammer, a knife, or a rock, drunk driver's kill
all the time in this Country. should we ban the hammer, the knife, the rock on the ground.
do not forget the booze. I could go on and on.

WAKE UP AMERICA!