Winnar! Teen commits murder/attempt.murder over Halo 3

[Eta-Carinae]

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/boy_killed_mom_and_shot_dad_ov.html

ELYRIA — Daniel Petric was so angry that his father would not allow him to play the violent video game Halo 3 that he killed his mother and shot his father, then tried to make it appear to be a murder-suicide, prosecutors told a Lorain County judge this morning in the boy's murder trial.

Petric, now 17, had sneaked out of his house to buy the game. But his parents caught him as he came in with the game and took it from him. His father, Mark, put the game in a lockbox in the parents' closet. He also kept a 9 mm handgun in the box, according to prosecutors.

Daniel Petric took the gun and the game out of the box, they said.

The case is being tried to a Lorain County Common Pleas judge instead of a jury at the request of Daniel Petric.

Mark Petric, who is a minister at New Life Assembly of God in Wellington, testified that before the shooting on Oct. 20, 2007, his then-16-year-old son came into the room with a question:

"Would you guys close your eyes," Daniel Petric asked. "I have a surprise for you."

Mark Petric said he expected a pleasant surprise. The next thing he knew, his head went numb. He had been shot in the head.

Susan Petric, 43, died of gunshot wound to the head.

He said the next thing he remembers is his son shoving the gun in his hand and saying, "Hey Dad, here's your gun. Take it."

Mark Petric broke down on the witness stand as he explained how he survived the shooting. His daughter and her husband came to the house to watch an Indians game. He heard his son telling them they couldn't come in.

"You can't come in," Mark Petric recalled his son saying. "You guys shouldn't come in. Mom and Dad had a big argument."

Mark Petric said all he could do was make a guttural yell for help.

Mark Petric was allowed to visit his son in jail over the past year. He said his son has apologized.

"Dad, I'm so sorry for what I did to Mom, to you and to the family," Daniel Petric said, according to his father. "I'm so glad you are alive."

"You're my son," Mark Petric responded. "You're my boy."

Mark Petric said his son told him he could hardly live with the guilt over what he did.

"He would cry, and I would cry," Mark Petric told the judge.

He said Susan Petric and their son had a very close relationship.

"He was always her little boy," Mark Petric told the judge.

Daniel Petric's lawyers also gave a short opening statement to the judge. They said their client had been under great stress because of a snowboarding accident that resulted in a severe staph infection.

He was homebound for a year with nothing to do but watch television and play video games.

 

[dwarven1]

They said their client had been under great stress because of a snowboarding accident that resulted in a severe staph infection.

He was homebound for a year with nothing to do but watch television and play video games.

TFB - you don't kill your parents because they won't let you play a fscking video game. Lock 'im up.

 

[Admin]

Screw locking him up, put one behind his ear. We don't need another leech in the system.

 

[Nickle]

Screw locking him up, put one behind his ear. We don't need another leech in the system.

+1. It's a crying shame Dad survived, hopefully he's too old to further pollute the gene pool. He sure failed as a father, and damned sure didn't lock that gun up very well.

 

[BCEagleAce]

Anybody willing to shoot their own parents is a rotten apple IMHO. Lock him up and throw away the key.

What bullshit about him being stressed from an accident. When you are 17 and you have a roof over your head, and a nice mom and dad who can and will supply you with video games you have NO stress!!!

If you want to know stress, try paying all the bills, having kids, being the only income in your family and a shitty economy for your business... THAT is stress baby!

 

[bishop375]

Screw locking him up, put one behind his ear. We don't need another leech in the system.

Agreed.

Forget the appeals process and the associated costs. I'll buy the bullet.

 

[stoneypete]

Screw locking him up, put one behind his ear. We don't need another leech in the system.

"
AGREED!

 

[MasterShinken]

I'm surprised there isn't a bunch of people saying "Video games cause violence! see he was trying to play halo 3, which is violent, and he did something violent... the two things are in the same sentence, they must be connected to why he did it" meanwhile the kid didn't even get the game.

IMHO the kid is nuts, who the crap shoots someone over something like that, even a hormone blasted teenager wouldn't unless he was pretty messed up in the head...

 

[RB26]

If my son killed my wife, I don't have a son anymore.

 

[dwarven1]

I'm surprised there isn't a bunch of people saying "Video games cause violence! see he was trying to play halo 3, which is violent, and he did something violent... the two things are in the same sentence, they must be connected to why he did it" meanwhile the kid didn't even get the game.

I'm not surprised - this isn't a board where a bunch of fluffy-brained liberals hang out, most of us believe in taking responsibility for your OWN actions. Comes with owning guns and knowing that every bullet you shoot has your name engraved on it if it hits something it shouldn't.

 

[center442]

Perhaps young Master Petric will have a cellmate who can teach him some games that don't require a console or TV....and I hope he gets to play his new game for a long, long time.

 

[clinotus]

If my son killed my wife, I don't have a son anymore.

This is what I dont get either. This punk ass shot your wife in the head and you want to give him a hug? I'd be trying to get him paroled just so I could strangle him.

 

[jairadio]

This is what I dont get either. This punk ass shot your wife in the head and you want to give him a hug? I'd be trying to get him paroled just so I could strangle him.

And you and I, and every normal human being, won't get it.

Amazing simply amazing, makes my stomach turn.

 

[Metalhead]

Agreed.

Forget the appeals process and the associated costs. I'll buy the bullet.

I'll pull the trigger. Just like putting down a rabid dog, well except I would feel bad for the dog......

 

[mikem317]

One of many stellar Generation Y-ers.

 

[gene]

I have nothing good to say so nuff is enuff!

 

[vicpinto]

My sister lives in that neck of the woods. I'll have to ping her to find out how the locals feel.

 

[Ripach]

If my son killed my wife, I don't have a son anymore.

While I understand your sentiments, I disagree. I would still care about him, he would still be my son. I would however, in my visits with him, reiterate what I've been teaching my kids from day one. Every action has consequences. Whatever the system deems is your punishment I will stand behind.
No matter what my kids choose to do they are still my kids, and I can't fathom not loving them or feeling their pain. On the flip side, I wouldn't pretend that his actions were excusable, and I wouldn't be on the witness stand crying that he was such a good boy. I would place some blame on my parenting, and pray for him, other then that he gets what the Judge/Jury gives him. If that happens to be death, I would continue to counsel him to the last day, and still weep for him after the execution, but never would I say he wasn't responsible. Just my 2 pennies, and everybody else is entitled to their own.

 

[MasterShinken]

I'm not surprised - this isn't a board where a bunch of fluffy-brained liberals hang out, most of us believe in taking responsibility for your OWN actions. Comes with owning guns and knowing that every bullet you shoot has your name engraved on it if it hits something it shouldn't.

I didn't mean people on this board saying it, I meant people in general and the media. I've read some of the news reports on it and no one mentioned the video game as a cause of the violent tendencies, which I have seen a lot before.

 

[FunYun]

This is what I dont get either. This punk ass shot your wife in the head and you want to give him a hug? I'd be trying to get him paroled just so I could strangle him.

The father is a minister.

 

[Gonzo]

While I understand your sentiments, I disagree. I would still care about him, he would still be my son. I would however, in my visits with him, reiterate what I've been teaching my kids from day one. Every action has consequences. Whatever the system deems is your punishment I will stand behind.
No matter what my kids choose to do they are still my kids, and I can't fathom not loving them or feeling their pain. On the flip side, I wouldn't pretend that his actions were excusable, and I wouldn't be on the witness stand crying that he was such a good boy. I would place some blame on my parenting, and pray for him, other then that he gets what the Judge/Jury gives him. If that happens to be death, I would continue to counsel him to the last day, and still weep for him after the execution, but never would I say he wasn't responsible. Just my 2 pennies, and everybody else is entitled to their own.

Nail. Head.

 

[dwarven1]

I didn't mean people on this board saying it, I meant people in general and the media. I've read some of the news reports on it and no one mentioned the video game as a cause of the violent tendencies, which I have seen a lot before.

Ah... I don't tend to watch a lot of news, or read small stories like that, so that's why I didn't realize that's what you were talking about.

 

[Martlet]

Screw locking him up, put one behind his ear. We don't need another leech in the system.

+1 gabillion

 

[blindndead]

So who wanted to know what system to get? I guess you got your answer Xbox is so fun people are getting killed for this thing.

 

[Yelena]

"You're my son," Mark Petric responded. "You're my boy."

Mark Petric said his son told him he could hardly live with the guilt over what he did.

"He would cry, and I would cry," Mark Petric told the judge.

He said Susan Petric and their son had a very close relationship.

"He was always her little boy," Mark Petric told the judge.

Good Daddy, take your little boy back, and he'll shoot you again, with a larger caliber this time.

 

[Yelena]

What bullshit about him being stressed from an accident. When you are 17 and you have a roof over your head, and a nice mom and dad who can and will supply you with video games you have NO stress!!!

If you want to know stress, try paying all the bills, having kids, being the only income in your family and a shitty economy for your business... THAT is stress baby!

Oh, you are so incredibly mean!!!!! The poor little boy could be severely traumatized and stressed by witnessing his parents brutally killing cockroaches. He no doubt had a very rough childhood and needs a long, expensive treatment for which rich bitches like you and me will have to pay.

 

[Roastie]

I can't really comment on the whole father/child relationship since I have no children.

I can say that I don't think this was just over Halo 3, I would figure it to be built up over a bunch of other things. (Especially since the father was a Minister or whatnot, not to say that's a bad thing but I would imagine it made the kid feel like he didn't have the same childhood as others, as he probably didn't.)

No matter how you look at it though that kid should not see the light of day. Clearly premeditated, knew it was wrong as he attempted to cover it up, and knew what he had done.

 

[Martlet]

+1. It's a crying shame Dad survived, hopefully he's too old to further pollute the gene pool. He sure failed as a father, and damned sure didn't lock that gun up very well.

It's not the locking that was the problem.

I grew up in a house of guns that were never locked up. I never shot anyone.

 

[FunYun]

It's not the locking that was the problem.

I grew up in a house of guns that were never locked up. I never shot anyone.

Yeah, locks don't stop anyone, merely slows them down.

Daniel was homebound for a year with nothing to do but watch television and play video games, Kersey said. It was during that time that he became fascinated with the Halo series and would play them for hours at friends' houses. His father forbade the games, saying that were too violent and sexually explicit.

I'm not really sure how you can be homebound but still go over friends houses?

 

[Nickle]

It's not the locking that was the problem.

I grew up in a house of guns that were never locked up. I never shot anyone.

Agreed. My comments were over the news article saying they were locked up.

Those that know me, know mine AREN'T locked up (ask Ross). I houseproof the kids, not childproof the house. We have young ones over ALL the time, with ZERO troubles. They know not to bother them, and they don't go into the rooms where they are stored, even with the door unlocked and open.