I love news with a happy ending

[Radioactive]

14-year-old Phoenix boy shoots, critically wounds armed intruder

PHOENIX (AP) – A 14-year-old boy shot and nearly killed an intruder who broke into his Phoenix home and pulled a gun on him while he was watching his three younger siblings, police said Saturday.


The teen and his siblings, ages 8, 10 and 12, were at home alone when a woman rang the doorbell Friday afternoon, Phoenix police Officer James Holmes said.
The teen didn't open the door because he didn't recognize the woman.
Soon after, the teen heard a loud bang on the door, rushed his siblings upstairs and got a handgun from his parent's bedroom.
When he got to the top of the stairs, he saw a man break through the front door and point a gun at him.
The boy shot the 37-year-old man, who was taken to a hospital in extremely critical condition and underwent surgery. The man was upgraded to critical condition and is expected to survive and be booked into jail within the week on counts of aggravated assault and burglary, Holmes said.
He said the suspect did not get a shot off. He declined to release his name until he is booked into jail.
The woman who rang the home's doorbell got away.
Holmes hailed the teen's actions and his parents for teaching the kids to never open the door to strangers.
"The police and indeed our community does not ever want to see a situation where a teenager of that age has to take a weapon to protect his family … but this young man did exactly what he should have done," he said. "I'm not sure he gave full thought about what he had to do. He just acted."
Holmes said that the gun the teen grabbed was his father's, but did not know whether the boy had been trained to use it.
He said the family, whose names were not released, is declining to speak to reporters about the ordeal, saying that they "are all pretty traumatized."
"The dad was pretty much out of his mind with distress, officers couldn't even talk to him," Holmes said. "It's going to take them a while to recover mentally."
He said police don't yet know what the suspect's intentions were and that will be one of the first questions they ask him when he is well enough to talk.
"This was mid-block in a neighborhood, at 4:30 in the afternoon in summertime and children are there," he said. "They just took a heck of a gamble for this particular house, and we've got to try to figure out why."
Holmes added that the family is lucky that the teen acted so swiftly and effectively.
"As ugly as this is, and as much as this family is going through, we don't have injured children on our hands," he said.

[Chocaholic]

Yes....a Happy Ending is always good.

[944Larry]

"but did not know whether the boy had been trained to use it"
Either trained or real lucky in my opinion. I hate it this young a person had to resort to shooting somebody but no telling what might have happened to them had he not.

[azasadny]

Great!!! Too bad the family had to go through this trauma.

[Rick Lee]

Too bad the bad guy lived. I'm sure my taxes will be paying for his six figure hospital bill and then his six figure prosecution and stay in the pokey.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Too bad the bad guy lived. I'm sure my taxes will be paying for his six figure hospital bill and then his six figure prosecution and stay in the pokey.

Yep, it is a shame they did not just let him die.

[Flieger]

Critical wound from the top of the stairs? That sounds like more than luck to me. I guess if he was trained then the guy would have been DOA.

[speeder]

That is a heart-warming story other than the fact that the guy lived and the kid had to have that horrifying experience. Whenever an armed, home invading POS dies it's a good day for the rest of us.

[aigel]

It is bad advice not to answer the door. The perps probably thought the house was empty. Have your kid say "Dad's asleep, go away, I can't open the door or the dog will get you". This works best if you do have a reasonable size dog barking ... and if your kids at all afraid, don't keep them from calling 911, reporting uninvited visitors to the door.

Of course a 14 year old that can shoot an armed person with a handgun without them returning fire had some training.

G

[azasadny]

I think the criminals knew that kids were in the house. The TV, lights, sounds, etc... would give away the fact that someone was home. The criminals who break into a house when it's occupied are the most dangerous!

[flatbutt]

IMHO there's nothing heart warming about this story. The boy did a very good thing, a remarkably brave thing. But he will be scarred by this action which was forced upon him. Do you really think a 14 year old has the wherewithall to process what happened?

Is he now going to think he is a superstud? Start acting out like a superhero until someone kills him? Or maybe he'll withdraw into a deep depression. If he's lucky he'll get some great / balanced support and counseling. I think Dads deep distress has alot to do with these concerns.

He did what he had to do by putting down a scumbag. Lucky or no it turned out well for the family. But it is not good for a kid to need to do something like this and it is most certainly not heartwarming.

[azasadny]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

IMHO there's nothing heart warming about this story. The boy did a very good thing, a remarkably brave thing. But he will be scarred by this action which was forced upon him. Do you really think a 14 year old has the wherewithall to process what happened?

Is he now going to think he is a superstud? Start acting out like a superhero until someone kills him? Or maybe he'll withdraw into a deep depression. If he's lucky he'll get some great / balanced support and counseling. I think Dads deep distress has alot to do with these concerns.

He did what he had to do by putting down a scumbag. Lucky or no it turned out well for the family. But it is not good for a kid to need to do something like this and it is most certainly not heartwarming.

I think the heartwarming part is that the kid did the right thing, albeit difficult and protected his siblings and the kids didn't get hurt... I agree 100% that the kid will need counseling and I hope his father takes care of that. It bothers me that a gun was "available" when small children were in the house without adult supervision, but there's a lot here we don't know... I'm glad the kid did the right thing, I just wish he wasn't placed in that situation....

[Hugh R]

Kid did the right thing, but I'd be concerned about a loaded handgun accessible to 8, 10 12 & 14 year olds. In CA I think the State would prosecute the parents.

[Superman]

At 14, I was a good shot. The bad news in this story is that the kids are doubtlessly traumatized and the perp survived.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Kid did the right thing, but I'd be concerned about a loaded handgun accessible to 8, 10 12 & 14 year olds. In CA I think the State would prosecute the parents.

I am no expert but I believe you are only prosecuted if something happens to a kid (yours or others). Just having a gun out is not going to get you in trouble - not that I think that's a good idea with small kids around.

G

[Joe Bob]

Hugh....did a quick search on CA law. There is some ambiguity on underage access in the home.

For example...
In CA, there are exemptions that allow a prohibited person in using a firearm in self-defense.
So, it is legal for a minor to obtain a handgun to use in self-defense when in immediate danger.

CA Penal Code 29750
In enacting the amendments to former Sections 12078 and 12101 by Section 10 of Chapter 33 of the Statutes of 1994, First Extraordinary Session, it was not the intent of the Legislature to expand or narrow the application of the then-existing statutory and judicial authority as to the rights of minors to be loaned or to possess live ammunition or a firearm for the purpose of self-defense or the defense of others.

CA Penal Code 25105
Section 25100 does not apply whenever any of the following occurs:
(f) The child obtains, or obtains and discharges, the firearm in a lawful act of self-defense or defense of another person.

B U T.......I see it going the other way if there is some perception of non PC activity.