Teen Shot

[JonJ]

http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2006/03/14/news/news06.txt

Plymouth teenager shoots friend, is charged: Plymouth South High student was fooling around; victim is OK

By TAMARA RACE
The Patriot Ledger

PLYMOUTH - A Plymouth South High School student is charged with shooting his friend in the foot while fooling around with a handgun.

Police arrested William Crosby, 17, of 39 Pearl St. at school yesterday after investigating the Friday night incident.

Crosby and three other teens were at a friend’s house on High Pine Drive on Friday evening, according to police.

Crosby convinced his friend to let them see his father’s guns that were locked in a cabinet, police said.

The boy initially refused, but eventually relented after Crosby’s badgering, according to police.

The boy returned with a loaded .38-caliber Smith&Wesson revolver.

Police said the boy emptied the gun of ammunition, but Crosby put one round back in the gun.

Police believe Crosby loaded the bullet to the right of the barrel, not realizing that squeezing the trigger of a revolver rotates the cylinder.

When he pulled the trigger, he thought the hammer would fall on an empty chamber, but the revolver rotated the loaded chamber into the firing position, police said.

Crosby shot a 16-year-old boy in the foot, police said. The boy who was shot was not the one who lived in the house.

Jordan Hospital called police Friday night to report the shooting.

Police said the victim first told officers it was an accident in the woods, but later told them about the gathering at High Pine Drive.

Police said the homeowner was properly licensed for the firearms, and had them properly locked up, but his son knew where the key was kept.

The victim was treated and released from Jordan Hospital, according to police.

Crosby pleaded innocent yesterday to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm.

He was released on $500 bail and is due back in court May 14.

Copyright 2006 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Tuesday, March 14, 2006

 

[Admin]

When he pulled the trigger, he thought the hammer would fall on an empty chamber, but the revolver rotated the loaded chamber into the firing position, police said.

Why couldn't this peice of shit been looking down the barrel when he did this?

 

[FalArAk]

Why couldn't this peice of shit been looking down the barrel when he did this?

lol,nice!

 

[SiameseRat]

OK- as stupid as that kid is for playing with his Dad's guns- am I the only one that has a problem with the Dad?

My kids will know exactly how each gun in the house functions. Including that the cylinder revolves counterclockwise (how stupid can you get?).
By the time a kid is 17 if there are guns in the house, they should be just as proficient as you are.

But yeah, the kid is an ass.

 

[Admin]

OK- as stupid as that kid is for playing with his Dad's guns- am I the only one that has a problem with the Dad?

My kids will know exactly how each gun in the house functions. Including that the cylinder revolves counterclockwise (how stupid can you get?).
By the time a kid is 17 if there are guns in the house, they should be just as proficient as you are.

But yeah, the kid is an ass.

That is a very good point. But it seems to me that both kids involved were building a fort at the top of the stupid tree, fell, and hit every branch on the way down.

 

[SiameseRat]

That is a very good point. But it seems to me that both kids involved were building a fort at the top of the stupid tree, fell, and hit every branch on the way down.

well said, Derek. Well said.

 

[dreppucci007]

Why couldn't this peice of shit been looking down the barrel when he did this?

Seriously.

SR, you make a great point...about the kid being an ass. If the kid was peer pressured into opening the cabinet, it obviously meant the father trusted the kid enough to have full access to the guns, which in my eyes would mean the kid was proficient enough with the guns. He probably cracked under pressure from this other kid, and just didn't know how to handle the situation. He should have just said NO from the beginning and stuck with it. Tell the kid to come over when his father was home, and the father can show the kid the gun all he wants.

But that would just make sense, so nevermind...

 

[SiameseRat]

Dre-

Sad but probably true. But that is a good point you made in the end. When Patrick and I have kids I'll remember to tell them that if they tell their friends that we have guns and their friends want to see them or play with them that we will take them all to the range for an afternoon of target shooting.

That way our kid will have a way out if their friends are pressuring them and the kids will get to handle the guns in a safe environment.

Since the kid was 17 I wonder if drugs were involved.

 

[dreppucci007]

Since the kid was 17 I wonder if drugs were involved.

Who knows anymore?

 

[Lugnut]

Not all kids are bright and intelligent. Some teens can be outright stupid. Peer pressure is a real problem. Do you guys remember being a teen? I do and I was not the wisest kid-more like a wise ass.

I don't blame the dad given the facts above.

 

[Adam_MA]

In defense of the kid that got the gun from his dad's cabinet, he did empty the gun, but his idiot friend was the one who put the round back in the gun, and didn't know how it operated.

Still, should have NEVER happened

Adam

 

[C-pher]

I agree SR, I will tell my kids that they are more than welcome to take thier kids out to the range if they like...

But, being that I know how the OTHER kids act. I don't think that anyone other than me will ever have the combo to my safe. I hate to do that, and even if my kids are level headed, it's always these other kids that you have to worry about.

Back when everyone had a gun, you didn't have these problems. There was no mystery because everyone had one. When that's the case, you don't have a problem with kids wanting to play as much.

Hell, my buddies Dad's, they would show me what they got new. Or take me out to shoot. I could talk to most of my friends fathers about guns with no issues.

It's today's outlook that guns are a problem, no firearm education, and PC Bullshit that we can't disipline our kids.

 

[Chris]

Police believe Crosby loaded the bullet to the right of the barrel, not realizing that squeezing the trigger of a revolver rotates the cylinder.

Yup, and once again, MA laws do their job of protecting children by failing to allow EDUCATION.

Guns are just as part of reality in society as cars, yet we fail at the public schools to teach and remove the curiosity that revolves around them.

Yup, that is really keeping our kids safe. How many more 'accidents' need to occur before our wise leaders learn the truth about kids and guns?

 

[C-pher]

In defense of the kid that got the gun from his dad's cabinet, he did empty the gun, but his idiot friend was the one who put the round back in the gun, and didn't know how it operated.

He should have put them in his pocket and not let him have one. It's just as much the kids fault for letting him have another bullet back.

 

[bazfoo]

But, being that I know how the OTHER kids act. I don't think that anyone other than me will ever have the combo to my safe. I hate to do that, and even if my kids are level headed, it's always these other kids that you have to worry about.

+1

The kid should not have had access.

 

[Len-2A Training]

C-pher is right. The ammo should NOT have been within reach when he handed over the gun. Also if the bozo went to load one round, this smells of "Russian Roulette" to me. The kid should have taken the gun back and removed it from the room!

As for cylinder rotation:

Life isn't always that simple! When I went on our PD, we used S&W 10s. But I got my chief to authorize me to purchase/carry my own Colt Trooper (and later a Colt Det Spcl) on duty. S&W cylinder rotates one way while Colt rotates the other way. His Father may have had both (now we do too) and learning the rotation may not be a big priority in teaching a son how to safely handle a gun.

The kids were stupider than stupid. I agree with Derek. However I also recall a similar event (although NONE of us knew anything about guns) in a friend's house with a Japanese pistol. We're very lucky that it wasn't loaded as none of us had a clue about any of the controls.

 

[Bruce for NH State Rep]

I say throw the proverbial book at the kid. Unlawful possession of a gun? That's a mandatory year in prison, right?

BWAAAHAHHAAAHAHAHAHAH!!!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[MrsTypeo1313]

But, being that I know how the OTHER kids act. I don't think that anyone other than me will ever have the combo to my safe. I hate to do that, and even if my kids are level headed, it's always these other kids that you have to worry about.
.

I totally agree.

 

[Lynne]

In defense of the kid that got the gun from his dad's cabinet, he did empty the gun, but his idiot friend was the one who put the round back in the gun, and didn't know how it operated.

Still, should have NEVER happened

Adam

Agreed.

The kid may not have seen this jerk take one of the rounds and put it back in. That being said, he should never have gotten the gun in the first place.

 

[turkey870]

Kid - dumb. Dad irresponsible

Yeah, the kid is dumb and all that, but that's why kids don't have as many rights as the rest of us generally. But the dad is just plain irresponsible in my opinion. Plus, he has fallen foul of the law.

Chapter 140 Section 131L

(e) A violation of the provisions of this section shall be evidence of wanton or reckless conduct in any criminal or civil proceeding if a person under the age of 18 who was not a trespasser or was a foreseeable trespasser acquired access to a weapon, unless such person possessed a valid firearm identification card issued under section 129B and was permitted by law to possess such weapon, and such access results in the personal injury to or the death of any person.

I focus on the "person under the age of 18 who was not a trespasser or was a foreseeable trespasser" part. The dad gave his kid access to the gun safe and ammo. The kid is likely to have underage friends in the house while he isn't there. In other words, this dad will face penalties:

from (b) of same section: fine of not less than $500 nor more than $5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and in the case of a large capacity weapon or machine gun, by a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than ten years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Plus, my guess is the chief is going to reconsider this guy's suitability and rightly so. Gun owners like this contribute to the statistics that we get bashed over the head with. He is luckly no-one was killed

 

[SiameseRat]

Turkey thanks for the official lingo.

I bet that Dad thought he could trust his son. I think that's mistake #1. I remember when I was 17. Couldn't trust me as far as you could throw me. It's called immaturity...