Police: Teen Witness Shot to Death

[P12]

Police: Teen Witness Shot to Death

Sunday, January 25, 2004



WASHINGTON — Police said a 14-year-old girl was shot to death and her friend wounded after being targeted because their assailant thought the slain girl had witnessed a killing the day before.

Jahkema Hansen (search), 14, and an unidentified 12-year-old girl were found Friday evening in a townhouse not far from the U.S. Capitol (search).

Franklin Thompson, 22, was arrested Saturday and charged with first-degree murder in the slaying.

The shooting of the two girls was in an area where two men were shot to death last Sunday.

Cmdr. Michael Anzallo, chief of detectives for the District of Columbia (search) police, said the girl was killed because her killer thought she was a witness in the first of two shootings in the same area Sunday. Police said they did not believe the shooter was after the girl who was wounded in the leg. The slain girl was shot three times, including once in the head.

The girl's mother, Judyann Hansen, told The Washington Post that police detectives had offered her daughter protection in exchange for information about that killing.

She said police were clear about the danger witnesses face, with one detective telling her that a gunman will "come and put you to sleep because he don't want to do 60 years."

But her daughter declined the offer and "told them she did not see anything," Hansen said.

The mother said she was angry at police for not providing more help. "Even if my daughter didn't want to say anything, they were supposed to put out protection just in case," she said.

© Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2004 ComStock, Inc.

The Story

And the gun grabbers say to just comply.

 

[ojibweindian]

The mother said she was angry at police for not providing more help. "Even if my daughter didn't want to say anything, they were supposed to put out protection just in case," she said.

One of the things I use to iritate the living Hades out of anti's, when debating the merits of gun control, is that the police are under no obligation to provide "personal protection". Their main duty is to aprehend those suspected of violating the law. Anti's can never seem to make this distinction.

Unfortunately, the mother of this 14 year old girl has learned this lesson the hard way.

 

[Ham Hock]

I do not see how a 14 year old has a legal right to refuse or accept an offer of protection.

I would think it would fall to the legal guardians (parents) to refuse or accept.

 

[P95Carry]

DC ............. says it all.

 

[Jeff Thomas]

Ham Hock, I'd say you hit the nail on the head. Darn shame the mother didn't become more involved sooner. And, it's a shame the family was probably defenseless due to their local gun laws.

Pitiful situation all around.

Regards from TX

 

[El Tejon]

D.C. needs gun control now! Our children are dying in the streets. We need to ban all guns in D.C., no pistols, all rifles and shotguns must be disassembled, and . . . what? You mean they already have all that?

Well, then it's Virginia's fault. We need to limit Ol" Virginny to one pistol a month and then that way there won't be . . . what? You mean they already have that?

Mmmm, national waiting period? National background check? Ummm, national registration? What? You mean . . . .