Teen With AK-47 Opened Fire

[dewage83]

Autism is a difficult and scary problem....no easy answers

I completely agree but going along with what everyone has previously stated there should have been alot more keeping him from that firearm. Especially if they are as difficult as you say.( I personally dont know)

Wait, aren't AK-47s prohibited under Connecticut's AWB?

YES.... but only the AK's chambered in 7.62x39. My guess is that it was a AK clone chambered in .223.

 

[drgrenthum]

I agree this cant be the whole story.

I have a feeling that once the ball players accused him of lying about having the AK. He went home and got it then came back to the court and fired a few in the air to say hey look at me. You ...... didnt believe me. Knowing that he is a little off in the head the players came over and knocked the snot out of him to ge teh gun and make sure no one got hurt.

I think the attempted murder charges are just trumped by the DA so they can get an easily plea on multiple counts of wanton endangerment.

As for the father, he cant be blamed. He put a locked barrier between the rifle and the kid as he should. He could of done a better job but i have seen plenty of youtube videos showing safes broken into in under 20 mins. I couldnt imagine if the kid would have broken into a safe, would people be saying "Its the fathers fault, he should have bought a better safe?"

 

[Cmdr. Gravez0r]

Other people are probably saying he could be a bad person, but I know … he's not a bad person," said the teen's friend, Jarrad Staplins.

Seems like they say that a lot these days.

 

[jakemccoy]

State police said the teen shooter had an AK-47 rifle, but was subdued by the basketball players who rushed the gunman and wrestled him to the ground Tuesday night.

Here we have an example of real men doing what they had to do. I will encourage any son of mine to play street ball like I did in my youth. The street ball lessons fill-in where a classroom can't.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

The problem with autism is that it's impossible to predict how a kid will act/react. A close friend of my mother's was director of a school for autistic kids for many years. Every once in awhile she come for a visit with bruises or bite marks. Mostly autistic kids are ultra introverted, but ... yeah, they can have "anger management" issues.

Nonetheless, even knowing (second-hand) something about autistic kids, I don't think it's reasonable to claim that the father "should have known" his kid would get so angry/vindictive that he'd break a window to get into a locked room for access to a rifle. That sort of anger/pre-meditation mix isn't typically autistic. That's bordering on sociopathic ... if it's not actually over the line.

So far, I don't see any blame on the father, but I would like to see some follow-up reports.

 

[sfhogman]

Whatever the kid's problem- autism, Aspergers's, or something like, the father knew that his child was mentally and emotionally disabled. He also knew that the kid's problem sometimes manifested itself as an inability to control his temper.

The gun should have been locked up where the kid couldn't possibly get to it. Daddy's fault at least as much as the son's, IMO.

Jeff

 

[Packman]

I don't think we need to pass blame to the father.

Nope, I'm standing by my statement. A glass window is not sufficient security. It said right in the article that the parents knew he had anger issues. Dad's fault. If it's stored in that location, it needs to be disabled, take the bolt out or something.

As far as raising the kid better, Maybe Dad did the best he could. The kid was autistic, there's no telling what went through his mind that caused him to do what he did. Anyone here ever done something they shouldn't have done, even though they were "raised right?"

 

[tj_dude]

IF you had a AK in CT before they passed the ban and you obtained a "certificate of posseion" from state police it would be legal to own ,few years ago they ruled if it looks like a AK it is one ,does not matter what caliber it is

 

[2TransAms]

Well,autism is a pretty broad term now. He must not have been too introverted if he got into an argument with other kids...and came back with a rifle. Like Aguila Blanca said,that's sounds more like sociopathic behavior,which is not generally associated with the more common forms of autism. Autistic children,in fact,are generally very reluctant to confront the unknown.

Anyone here ever done something they shouldn't have done, even though they were "raised right?"

Yeah,started smoking. I sure never tried to shoot anybody.



Disclaimer-I do not know how severe this boy's autism is,or if he even has it. Nor do I know if he actually shot at the guys playing basketball.