Brandon O’Quinn Rasberry, 32, was shot in the head in 2022 while he slept at an RV park in Nixon, Texas, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of San Antonio, investigators said. He had just moved in a few days before.

The boy’s possible connection to the case was uncovered after sheriff’s deputies were contacted on April 12 of this year about a student who threatened to assault and kill another student on a school bus. They learned the boy had made previous statements that he had killed someone two years ago.

The boy was taken to a child advocacy center, where he described for interviewers details of Rasberry’s death “consistent with first-hand knowledge” of the crime, investigators said.

  • TransplantedSconie
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    7 months ago

    Holy hell. Imagine moving to a new area with a new job. You’re starting over, and bam, you’re dead because you moved 2 doors down from an 8 year old psychopath who kills you in your sleep.

      • taanegl@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        That’s the way I wanna go. Surrounded by family and loved ones? No thanks. Random execution by some kid from the neighbourhood is my jam. I never want to see it coming, though tbf, that’s mostly the case.

        • Monument@lemmy.sdf.org
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          7 months ago

          Right?
          Every day I wake up to the sounds of birds chirping, my beautiful wife snoring lightly next to me, and the feeling an overly attached heeler pressed against my legs, and all I can think is ‘Ah, fuck. I’ve woken up again.’

          • FilterItOut@thelemmy.club
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            7 months ago

            Pfft, sounds like you can fix the snoring problem, even in america without insurance, by having an american 7 year old neighbor. Damn, I love america.

        • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Thats a pretty good way to go. I think I will take stray bullet from school shooter. Just be walking by the school and get hit, bleed out slowly, and die in the ambulance. Later on conspiracy nuts will claim I am still alive and was a crisis actor.

      • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
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        7 months ago

        There is a much higher chance that he was shot somewhere other than the brainstem, so he probably did notice. Idk for sure, though.

  • IronpigsWizard@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    I had a 7 year old girl brought to the hospital I worked out of at the time, while I was employed as a crisis intervention worker.

    Flipping out, screaming, punching, kicking, biting, as they try to secure her on the stretcher. She kicks her mother in the face in the process, bad bloody nose, possibly broken, blood starts pouring out, 7 year old starts giggling and pointing at her mother as this happens.

    Ya got me what the answer is to these situations.

    • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
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      7 months ago

      Imo it boils down to a child needing to feel some semblance of control in their life, and because their brains haven’t developed enough to find more constructive ways to do that shit like this happens.

      You see this throughout humans all over the world, adults and children alike. Self-determination and the ability to make choices, however small, is important.

      • Jimmyeatsausage@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        And it literally can be as simple as you picking 2 outfits that are appropriate for the day and letting them pick which one to wear. That’s not to imply anything about the OP or the ER story…obvs every individual case is unique, and I’m not implying that picking your own underwear can cure psychopathy.

        But, things as simple as this can cure neurotypical cases of children acting out if that behavior is rooted in a need for self-determination or control.

    • BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I recall reading an AMA on Reddit by a person who worked with child sex offenders (which is just yikes on bikes). They said that usually a child committing an act like this is impulsive rather than an ingrained personality trait or something like that. I wonder if such acts are similar.

    • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Conduct disorder is though, but treating it early can reduce the risk of ASPD in adulthood which is mostly treated by prisons.

  • underwire212
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    7 months ago

    What do you even do for something like this? A literal child? Do you lock them up for life? Rehabilitate under close supervision and reassess? Can someone like this even be rehabilitated?

    • RegalPotoo@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Don’t know about US law, but where I live we have a “Preventative Detention Order” - the threshold for it is very high, but it essentially works as a sentence of “until rehabilitated”, you are incarcerated until the court decides that you are no longer a threat to the community, even in cases where a life without parole sentence wouldn’t be possible. In a world where I am supreme ruler, it’d automatically apply in cases where someone who has a conviction for a violent crime commits another violent crime.

      Also, how the hell does an 8 year old get a gun? Surely whoever failed to secure it - or even worse gave it to a minor - would be looking at an accessory change?

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Rehabilitation doesn’t happen in the U.S. It’s entirely about punishment.

        If you’re in prison here, you deserve it. Even if you’re innocent.

      • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Also, how the hell does an 8 year old get a gun? Surely whoever failed to secure it - or even worse gave it to a minor - would be looking at an accessory change?

        Stole it from the glovebox of his grandfathers truck, it’s in the article.

        But even if the glovebox was locked, if you have the keys to get into the truck, you have the keys to open the glovebox.

          • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            Kid shot the other dude while he was asleep, so it could be the kid got up in the middle of the night, took the keys to the truck, and unlocked the gun.

            I can’t see how you could hold grand dad accountable. Nobody could predict an 8 year old that psychopathic. :(

              • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                In Texas?

                https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.46.htm#46.13

                “IT IS UNLAWFUL TO STORE, TRANSPORT, OR ABANDON AN UNSECURED FIREARM IN A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN ARE LIKELY TO BE AND CAN OBTAIN ACCESS TO THE FIREARM.”

                But then:

                “(3) ‘Secure’ means to take steps that a reasonable person would take to prevent the access to a readily dischargeable firearm by a child, including but not limited to placing a firearm in a locked container or temporarily rendering the firearm inoperable by a trigger lock or other means.”

                So, placing the gun in a locked glovebox in a locked car would be securing it as far as Texas is concerned.

                Further:

                "(b) A person commits an offense if a child gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm and the person with criminal negligence:

                (1) failed to secure the firearm; or

                (2) left the firearm in a place to which the person knew or should have known the child would gain access.

                © It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the child’s access to the firearm:

                (1) was supervised by a person older than 18 years of age and was for hunting, sporting, or other lawful purposes;

                (2) consisted of lawful defense by the child of people or property;

                (3) was gained by entering property in violation of this code; or"

                So under c3 - The kid stealing the keys and getting the gun anyway would seem to exonerate grand dad.

                • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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                  7 months ago

                  If I put a gun in a safe and keep the key readily available to anyone, it’s not safely stored.

                • hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de
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                  Sec. 46.13. (b) (2) left the firearm in a place to which the person knew or should have known the child would gain access.

                  There is no way that gramps can’t be charged for doing exactly that.

                  According to 46.13. (e) it is only a class A misdemeanor however. IMO this should be treated as a felony.

              • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                Texas’ safe storage law only requires it be “secured”, not the methodology for securing it.

                https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.46.htm#46.13

                (3) “Secure” means to take steps that a reasonable person would take to prevent the access to a readily dischargeable firearm by a child, including but not limited to placing a firearm in a locked container or temporarily rendering the firearm inoperable by a trigger lock or other means.

                “locked container”. So in this case, a locked glovebox in a locked car. Now if he failed to lock either, that’s a problem.

    • bitchkat@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Its Texas, depending on the races of the shooter and victim, its either death row or being elected to US or state representative.

      • lustyargonian
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        7 months ago

        Hey hey hey that’s enough. Guns are not the problem at all. We need guns to protect us from bad men.

        /s

        • blind3rdeye
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          7 months ago

          For sure. I bet the guy who was shot in his sleep would have been fine if keep a gun in his hand while sleeping - to scare away intruders. Maybe another gun under the pillow for extra safety. Nothing can stop gun violence except more guns.

          (still /s … Some people in the USA are really weird about guns, and I don’t want to fall afoul of Poe’s law.)

        • _cnt0@sh.itjust.works
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          7 months ago

          Akshuly, guns really aren’t. At least most of the time. Canada has a high per capita (privately owned) gun ratio, yet next to no gun violence. Switzerland has a relatively high per capita gun ratio and lots of military guns (especially assault rifles and pistols) in peoples’ homes due to their reservist system, yet, again, next to no gun violence. Could it be, that the real problem is criminality caused by poverty and dysfunctional social systems? Also, historically, the strictest gun laws were introduced by totalitarian regimes, most of the time. In an ideal world we wouldn’t need guns at all, beyond sportive purposes. Would you say we live in an ideal world? I always wonder why especially liberal/left-leaning people (not implying/saying you are one) are so opposed to private gun ownership. Especially as a socialist/humanist I want to see as many military weapons as possible in private hands. If the AfD (NSDAP v2) comes to power in Germany I would love to have a vote made from high velocity pointy metal instead of useless paper to avert a 4th Reich or die trying.

          • lustyargonian
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            7 months ago

            I don’t know man, I find it hard to believe that a child can just stumble upon a gun if they weren’t that common and the discourse around it wasn’t so brain-dead.

            • _cnt0@sh.itjust.works
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              7 months ago

              Such cases are pretty rare though. I’d argue two things:

              • Had applicable law been followed, this would not have happened.
              • The kid is the problem, not the gun. The kid taking the gun and shooting someone is a symptom. Something is horribly wrong with that kid, and gun control won’t fix it.
              • lustyargonian
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                7 months ago

                There are problematic kids, teens and adults. We need to protect the guns from them by locking the guns up and not letting them be anywhere near problematic people by basically making them really, really hard to obtain. People need to be thoroughly investigated to ensure they don’t end up giving guns the bad name. That way problematic people won’t touch our precious guns.

                • _cnt0@sh.itjust.works
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                  7 months ago

                  I completely agree with that. But maybe, just maybe, we can try to help them with the problems instead of only restricting their access to guns. Again, fix the causes, not the symptoms. Fix poverty, establish proper welfare, provide affordable (universal) health care. It’s really not rocket science. The debate for stricter gun control is a distraction from the actual problems/causes.

              • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
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                7 months ago

                Yeah … blame the small child instead of the institution that allows millions of guns to be owned by almost anyone who wants one.

                • _cnt0@sh.itjust.works
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                  7 months ago

                  That’s a really stupid take on what I said.

                  Could it be, that the real problem is criminality caused by poverty and dysfunctional social systems?

              • jerkface@lemmy.ca
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                7 months ago

                What a tortured take. A loaded gun in a fucking glovebox absolutely IS a problem.

          • stormdelay@sh.itjust.works
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            7 months ago

            In Switzerland’s case, most of these “military guns” are not kept with ammo, so it’s not like Timmy can go on a shooting spree with a glorified pipe section. There’s also an actual license system for buying and owning weapons and ammo.

            I always wonder why especially liberal/left-leaning people (not implying/saying you are one) are so opposed to private gun ownership

            Well, there’s a pretty good example of why virtually unrestricted gun ownership is a bad idea in the USA. Are poverty, healthcare the bigger issues? Of course. That doesn’t mean you should compound them by making it easy for people to act with deadly force at the tip of their finger on impulse. Have a proper license system, make gun safes mandatory, don’t give licenses without good reasons (self defense isn’t one in 99.99% of cases), control ammunition sale.

            • _cnt0@sh.itjust.works
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              7 months ago

              Well, Timmy can’t take the military issue ammunition home, but there are next to no restrictions for him to buy ammunition. All he needs is a passport (doesn’t even need to be Swiss) and a clean criminal record that is no older than 3 months.

              Well, there’s a pretty good example of why virtually unrestricted gun ownership is a bad idea in the USA.

              Only if you mistake symptoms for causes. The US is a great example though, because no other western nation has such an extreme wealth distribution, poverty, and dysfunctional welfare. And no other western nation has violence problems to that degree.

              • stormdelay@sh.itjust.works
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                7 months ago

                I’m no swiss law expert, but that’s not what wikipedia says regarding buying ammunition. And even what you describe is already more than what is needed in the USA isn’t it?

                • _cnt0@sh.itjust.works
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                  7 months ago

                  Add-on:

                  And even what you describe is already more than what is needed in the USA isn’t it?

                  I’m no expert on US gun law, but what I do know, is that blanket statements on US gun law are almost always wrong. Gun legislation varies highly between states. There are places where it is rather lax, and then there are places where it is really strict. It’s been a while (read decades) since I read about it more in depth. From the top of my head: a third to a half of the states has gun legislation comparable to that of Germany (comparable in “strictness”, not wording). New York and one or two other places have even (much) stricter legislation than Germany.

                  No idea, if that comparison to Germany helps you, but it is the best reference I have.

                • _cnt0@sh.itjust.works
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                  I’m no swiss law expert, but that’s not what wikipedia says regarding buying ammunition.

                  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearms_regulation_in_Switzerland

                  In order to purchase ammunition, the buyer must fulfill the same legal rules that apply when buying guns (art. 15 WG/LArm). Foreigners with citizenship to the following countries are explicitly excluded from the right to buy and own ammunition: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Algeria and Albania.

                  The buyer must provide the following information to the seller (art. 15, 16 WG/LArm; art. 24 WV/OArm):

                  • a passport or other valid official identification (the holder must be over 18 years of age) (art. 10a WG/LArm).
                  • a copy of their criminal record not older than 3 months, a weapons acquisition permit which isn’t older than 2 years, or a valid European Firearms Pass, if asked by the seller (art. 24 § 3 WV/OArm).
              • daltotron@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                because no other western nation has such an extreme wealth distribution, poverty, and dysfunctional welfare. And no other western nation has violence problems to that degree

                Do we define Brazil as western generally or no

          • SeaJ
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            7 months ago

            Canada has a high per capita (privately owned) gun ratio, yet next to no gun violence. Switzerland has a relatively high per capita gun ratio

            If those two nations are considered high, what would you consider the US which has 3x the amount of guns per capita than Canada does? Do we just label US gun ownership fucking absurd so gun nuts stop bringing up that ridiculous point?

              • SeaJ
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                7 months ago

                The number I found was within that range (the low number) so the per capita numbers would be 3-5x. The main point is the same though that we have an absurd amount of guns.

                • theyoyomaster@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  That range was also based on 2016 number before NICS check and sales records were smashed over and over again. The numbers being presented now are at the bottom of the likely range from nearly a decade ago after millions and millions of guns have been sold over the past years. I would be very surprised if there were actually fewer than 750m in the us.

            • _cnt0@sh.itjust.works
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              […] the US which has 3x the amount of guns per capita than Canada does[.]

              Has Canada one third the per capita gun violence of the US? Spoiler: it doesn’t. People bring up that point because it clearly shows that gun ownership does not correlate with “gun crime”. Guns do not cause crime. Guns are a means to an end. Do you want to treat symptoms? Then go ahead and regulate shit out of guns. Or, do you want to treat causes? Then prevent poverty, establish proper welfare and universal health care.

              If you feel the need to label everyone who brings up that point a gun nut, I will have to call you a smooth brain for not understanding the difference between symptoms and causes. But, maybe we can do without the insults?

              • SeaJ
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                Has Canada one third the per capita gun violence of the US?

                Nobody is claiming it is a 1:1 correlation. While guns themselves do not commit crime, they make it significantly easier to commit. Lowering the opportunity cost to commit crime is going to lead to a higher amount of crime plain and simple. Most gun violence is committed by gangs. If fewer of them had access to guns, it would be much harder for them to commit violent crimes since drive by stabbings are not as much of a thing and would not increase as a substitute for guns. We can look at the UK which has similar levels of wealth inequality to the US and has similar rates of knife related violent crime but significantly lower gun violence.

                Should we treat poverty? Absolutely. But that has a hell of a lot more variables in it and is a much bigger task. We can also walk and chew gum at the same time and work on both of them. I’m not even one to ask for significant gun restrictions outside of those in Canada or Switzerland. But if you are looking to decrease gun violence, the most sure fire way is going to be to significantly decrease the number of guns.

                • RaoulDook@lemmy.world
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                  But if you are looking to decrease gun violence, the most sure fire way is going to be to significantly decrease the number of guns.

                  The issue that we must face in the USA is that is not remotely possible. They are here to stay regardless of what anyone wants. They number in the hundreds of millions and can perpetually exist in silent, dark places that no one knows about. They don’t announce their presence with beacons or signals, and could be hidden anywhere.

                  The way I face that issue is to not worry about it. I take comfort in knowing that violent crime is very rare, and my society is very safe overall, and I carry on doing whatever I want without fear of any of that.

                • _cnt0@sh.itjust.works
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                  7 months ago

                  From my point of view, any argument for gun control is a distraction from the real problems: Poverty and dysfunctional social systems.

                  Edit: Also, it’s pretty rich to allege bad faith, when you reply with nothing but STFU to a reasonable comment.

      • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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        If that man had a gun connected to a booby trap to protect him while he was sleeping, he wouldn’t be dead at the moment!

    • bane_killgrind@kbin.social
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      Well firstly interview all of the child’s caregivers. Determine the living conditions the child has experienced for the past several years. Determine what failures of supervision happened that resulted in an 8 year old gaining access to a firearm.

      Then remediate unsafe living conditions, provide therapy, and charge whatever people who were responsible for the kid with manslaughter.

          • BreakDecks@lemmy.ml
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            7 months ago

            Amazing that you know so much about this child’s medical diagnoses. Where are you getting this information?

            • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              The fact that he straight up killed a guy he did not know and had no contact with. That’s classic psychopathic behavior.

              Follow that with threatening to kill another kid at school and bragging about how he already killed someone already.

              • BreakDecks@lemmy.ml
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                Ah, so you’re just full of shit and diagnosing someone you’ve never met with credentials you do not have.

              • pyre@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                what are the main elements of psychopathic behavior? surely it isn’t about how much contact you have with the guy you kill. what in particular about that behavior is psychopathic?

                • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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                  https://www.healthline.com/health/psychopath

                  behavior that conflicts with social norms - Yes

                  disregarding or violating the rights of others - Yes

                  inability to distinguish between right and wrong - Yes

                  difficulty with showing remorse or empathy - Yes

                  tendency to lie often - Unknown, but likely.

                  manipulating and hurting others - Yes.

                  recurring problems with the law - Yes.

                  general disregard toward safety and responsibility - Yes.

                  expressing anger and arrogance on a regular basis - Yes.

                  So out of 7 categories, this kid hits 6 of them.

          • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
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            7 months ago

            He kept the murder weapon as a loaded pistol in his glovebox and then he sold it after the murder happened, so…

            • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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              Means nothing. People in Texas keep loaded weapons and buy and sell them all the time. There’s no evidence he knew what the kid did. In fact, there was very little contact between the kid and the victim, not surprising for psychopathic behavior.

              • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
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                If you keep loaded firearms where children can find them, with or without your knowing, then you deserve to be locked up for your psychopathic behavior.

                • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  Locked in a glovebox and locked in a car meets the safe storage guidelines in most states.

    • Fedizen@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      arrest the parents for leaving weapons lying around. Bar him from gun ownership until 1,000 hours of community service are done.

    • tsonfeir
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      7 months ago

      You make sure it can’t breed, and then you arrest the parents, do the same, and lock them all up.

      • Podunk@lemmy.world
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        I dont know if you are a troll or just an honest sociopath. And i honestly dont care. But to just impulsively call a child “it”, and then continue going down such an unfeeling, inhuman line of thought, imo, is morally obtuse and offensive to society as a whole. Your response here is neither welcome nor encouraged. Sincerely, fuck you.

  • SeaJ
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    7 months ago

    The boy said he had been visiting his grandfather, who lived a few lots away from Rasberry in the RV park. He described the 9 mm pistol and its “dirt and army green” color, and said he took it from the glove box of his grandfather’s truck.

    A glove box is not safe storage of a firearm. Considering the grandfather sold the pistol after, I’m going to guess he knew what happened.

    • BlitzoTheOisSilent@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Gramps definitely knew what happened, and I’d be surprised if prosecutors didn’t go after him too for at least tampering with evidence or whatever.

      However, depending on local laws, a glovebox can be considered safe storage for a firearm, so long as the glovebox locks. Not saying that is right or wrong, but my Blue state views it that way.

    • Fades@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I disagree (slightly), and would like to point out that many glove boxes ARE LOCKABLE. In such a case, I would deem it viable short term storage. Would def not leave it in there 24/7 but that’s just me.

      • SeaJ
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        7 months ago

        True. But unless it is actually locked, it is not viable storage.

  • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
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    7 months ago

    All the comments debating child psychology when the Grandfather kept his gun in a glovebox and then sold it immediately after the murder. Like, what the fuck?!

    I don’t give a damn what the kid was thinking, that Grandfather is the one we need for justice to be served.

    • Zorg@lemmings.world
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      7 months ago

      They unfortunately do, but at that age the brain is still partially goo:

      According to the National Organization of Victims of Juvenile Murderers, cognitive function develops concrete to abstract between the ages of 12 and 15. This means that a person can genuinely understand that specific behavior brings specific consequences. However, research has shown that a teenager’s brain does not resemble an adult’s fully matured brain until they reach their early 20’s. Source: Google’s summary for "has a 12 year old brain developed enpugh to understand murder

      • I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        The kid is rotten. While he may still be developing, most kids do not kill strangers in cold blood. He was either already on track to develop into a psychopath, or the murder firmly put him on that path. Note how he got caught because he was bragging about it.

        Is it too late to save the kid? Maybe not, it’s certainly worth trying. But considering what he did, and the environment he’s living in, I don’t foresee him getting the dedicated mental resources he needs.

        • Halosheep
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          7 months ago

          I always wonder why people think murderers are “worth saving”. My guy stole someone’s entire life, why should he get to have one and have special attention made to it?

          • nickwitha_k (he/him)@lemmy.sdf.org
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            7 months ago

            The scope is far greater than eye for an eye. While they’ll never be able to undo what they did, there is a possibility that they may make positive contributions to society. Contributions that could save multiple lives. That’s not even going into the problems of allowing a state to ritualistically murder people.

            • interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml
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              7 months ago

              What if we measure that some people make a negative contribution to society ?

              I don’t mean criminals even, just people who are for a reason or another, a net loss, and we know for sure.

              • NιƙƙιDιɱҽʂ@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                You’ll always have people who are a net loss. That’s the whole point of living in a society, to overcome together and take care of those that cannot take care of themselves. If everyone was self sufficient, we never would have joined together to be the herd animals that we are.

                “The measure of a civilization is how it treats its weakest members.”

              • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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                7 months ago

                What if we measure that some people make a negative contribution to society ?

                I don’t mean criminals even, just people who are for a reason or another, a net loss, and we know for sure.

                If you don’t want people to compare this to Naziism, perhaps don’t just reinvent the concept of “useless eaters.”

                • interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml
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                  7 months ago

                  I’m sorry, but the logic is built in to

                  “While they’ll never be able to undo what they did, there is a possibility that they may make positive contributions to society. Contributions that could save multiple lives.”

                  When used as a justification to oppose

                  “I always wonder why people think murderers are “worth saving”. My guy stole someone’s entire life, why should he get to have one and have special attention made to it?”

          • Crikeste
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            7 months ago

            It’s just violence all the way down with you people, isn’t it?

            You: “I don’t like murderers, so I want the government to become the murderer of murderers!”

            • Halosheep
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              7 months ago

              This doesn’t even remotely address my genuine question. It’s just dickheadedness all the way down with you people isn’t it?

              You: “I just make random shit up and say you said it, I’m infinitely intelligent.”

      • interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml
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        7 months ago

        People thinking like a premeditated murderer when is obviously an impulse act that got their hands on a loaded gun and a brain full of movies tell him that’s for pointing and shooting.

        He probably did it because that’s what guns do you point them at heads and click them.

        Then shit got way more real than he ever imagined. And it’s too late now. Imagine “oh shit I’m in trouble” of kids doing stupid stuff. Except this time mommy can’t help. Nobody can’t help.

        Though shit for a 7 year old, I almost can’t believe he kept it in for more than two years

        • Fades@lemmy.world
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          that’s what guns do you point them at heads and click them.

          With real guns, you don’t click them but instead you use your actual hands and finger to make em fire.

          Jokes aside, you could update your initial example from movie to vgame and click would make more sense contextually :)

          also, that was the first thing I said to myself, how the hell can a youngin hold something in THAT FUCKING SERIOUS for THAT FUCKING LONG?! I did dumb shit as a kid and a few weeks of guilt were hell. We ain’t all built the same i guess

      • Rob T Firefly@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        I read things like this and they make reasonable sense, but at the same time I’m fairly sure I remember being much younger than that and still knowing that it’d be wrong to kill someone.

  • Nougat@fedia.io
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    7 months ago

    The boy said his grandfather later sold the pistol. Deputies located it at a pawn shop. Shell casings from the previous crime scene were matched to the gun, investigators said.

    Even considering that, I have concerns about how the police questioning of a ten year old was handled.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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      7 months ago

      It says he was taken to a child advocacy center. Whatever that is

      I assume it was done properly though, messing up a murder investigation when it’s basically a slam dunk would be pretty damning if it turns out they mishandled it.

      • acetanilide@lemmy.world
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        A child advocacy center has specially trained staff (therapists) who do forensic interviews and provide therapy, mainly to kids enduring the aftermath of abuse and neglect. They work closely with the police and the prosecutor to get the case resolved and many also provide therapy dogs to go to court with the kids.

        I haven’t heard of them interviewing a kid suspected of a crime but perhaps it is their protocol for a kid this young.

        • jonne@infosec.pub
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          7 months ago

          But obviously in Texas you can’t hold someone responsible for storing a gun in a location a child could get to, and even (most likely) knowingly selling a murder weapon doesn’t warrant a second look.

  • XEAL
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    7 months ago

    Little shit knew how to fire a gun but didn’t know about remaining silent.

  • daltotron@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    You know this probably wouldn’t have happened had gramps kept the gun on him, if he wanted it as a truck gun probably for “self-defense”, or whatever, and then just like. put it in an actual combo safe in his house once he got home. Even if you’re evaluating this from like, what I’m presuming to be the motivations behind gramps keeping a gun in his truck, it doesn’t make any fuckin sense. a truck gun is totally useless, how the fuck is he gonna, presumably shut off his car, use his car key to open it up, then access his firearm in a timely manner in the 1 in a million chance he needs it? Not to mention if someone steals his car, free gun, boom.

    What a dipshit. This guy shouldn’t be allowed to have a firearm.

  • Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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    I’m not usually for capital punishment, especially for minors, but I think putting this one down is more akin to euthanasia than murder. I really don’t believe that someone who managed to do this and keep quiet for two years at that age can be rehabilitated.

        • VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.works
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          7 months ago

          Yeah juries are scary things, get a couple of true crime lovers and you’re gong down no matter what, get a jury that relates to the killer and they might just walk despite the evidence being strong and go on to rape and kill many more…

          I bet if we could see real statistics of how often serious the jury gets it wrong that it’s basically a coin flip

    • Anderenortsfalsch@discuss.tchncs.de
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      7 months ago

      At that age they have no understanding what “dead” means. We do not know if the child kept quiet or if just no one took his ramblings seriously and kids that young often have no words for what happened especially if it is dramatic, the kid might have made drawings instead that went unnoticed. We also do not know if the gun owner threatened the child to stay quiet.

      Please let people who know children and their mental capabilities and have experience in treating them as is needed do their job and stay away from making such brutal assumptions. It is ok to not know things, that’s why specialists exist. It is not about “believing” when it comes to a decision of life or death, feelings need to stay back. It is ok to find a child murdering someone disturbing without following a gut feeling for what should be done.

    • BreakDecks@lemmy.ml
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      7 months ago

      You sound like you very much like capital punishment for children…

      Absolutely indefensible take.