Kid Shot My House With Pellet Gun

JoeRinMD · Oct 29, 2014

Mooseman said:
I was actually five years old when I got my first BB gun. I loved that gun. I still have it though it no longer works. I was told that if I shot anything with it that I shouldn't, I would never see it again. I knew my father was serious.

The bolded part above is what's critical. And in many different ways as a parent, I tried to hold to the motto "never threaten anything that you're not willing to carry out". My son got his first pellet gun at 10 years old. He knew it would be gone if he did something stupid.

JoeR

pbharvey · Oct 29, 2014

JoeRinMD said:
My son got his first pellet gun at 10 years old. He knew it would be gone if he did something stupid.

JoeR

The son of your's I met seems like a fine young man and quite handy with his shotgun. :thumbsup:

BlackBart · Oct 29, 2014

Id have DAD repair the damage.......... new screen as well, NOT repaired that is unless you are seriously good friends with them.

dist1646 · Oct 29, 2014

Sounds like the parent took financial responsibility and probably disciplined junior. Maybe it would be a good idea to mentor the kid and teach him firearms responsibility as one who loves shooting to another.

wilcam47 · Oct 29, 2014

cogcon said:
1. Dad apologizes and gives you $20 for any damages

2. Wife yells at husband for leaving that "damned toy" laying around

3. Little Tommy gets a lesson in firearm safety reinforced with some additional counseling behind the woodshed

4. Forgive, but not forget in case it happens again.

Nowadays everything stops after #2... :sad20:

sxs · Oct 29, 2014

Mooseman said:
When I was a kid, I was allowed to play with my BB gun unsupervised. I never would have thought about shooting at a person or their house. I guess kids have changed.

But, Mooseman....from what I gather you live in the sticks! (or at least that's my impression) lol. (or maybe I'm wrong about that...not all of Western MD is all sticks!). It is a little different in a community type area. I do remember being 12 or 13 years old and my Uncle in WV gave me an old 22 rifle and sent me out to kill the groundhogs on his farm. And I also remember doing some stupid things like getting bored and shooting at song birds in the bushes (no idea of what might be behind the bushes). I even stupidly shot at some crows that landed in the upper branches of a pine tree. I did get caught by a cousin (a number of years older than me) who, after giving me some (deserved) crap, took me under his wing and taught me some basic safety. I will grant you, I would NEVER have considered shooting at a person or house or even in the general direction. I did know that much. However, I was still a twit when it came to overall safety. My son started hunting with me at age 11. By the time he was 16 or so, I had a good bit of trust in him as regards safety. He was always pretty serious about it. However, he was shooting a BB gun and pellet rifle at 6 and I always supervised him (and his sister - although she was never as interested in shooting) closely .

Huckleberry · Oct 29, 2014

Got a nephew or a friend's 6 or 7 yo to kick the 6 yo's ass?

MdPrep · Oct 29, 2014

Agree that this was a careless and senseless act of an unsupervised child shooting a pellet gun. Sounds like the parents did the right thing although, short of having the little bugger owning up to what he did and apologizing for his irresponsible actions.

I know this isn't daycare, but maybe you could be a positive influence on this young man and take him under your wing. Teaching our youth the responsibilities of gun ownership is everyone's responsibilities. Might be an opportunity for you to make a positive impact in an otherwise reckless lifestyle/habit.

Just my .02

Yellowhand · Oct 29, 2014

What bothers me about this story is the kid shot through the screen, possibly with your brother as his sight picture...I wouldn't laud the family doing the right thing with a twenty spot and a can of Spackle. I would talk to the father with an assurance that the child would face corporal punishment for his indiscretion and a face to face apology to you and your family, otherwise, the cops would be involved if your demands aren't met. The child needs to know that this is a serious situation and to learn that you never aim a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy. That is how children learn right from wrong through consequences of their actions.

JasonB · Oct 29, 2014

Sounds like you have your G&S. Someone shot at your family and you have a police report to prove it.

Cyclone · Oct 30, 2014

moojersey said:
Just wanted some opinions on what you much more experienced folks would have done. Short version is that apparently this little bugger six year old behind me got a hold of a pellet gun and shot at my house. Thankfully my window was open so the glass was not broken. Damaged the window screen and pellet lodged into my drywall. My brother was standing about 6 inches from where the pellet impacted, which leads me to believe this little bugger was aiming at him.

Now they do shoot it regularly behind me, as I can hear it most nice days. I obviously have no problem with them doing that. My gripe is that an unsupervised 6 year old shot my house, could have seriously injured my brother, and damaged my property. Cecil County Sheriffs insisted that I should not try to press any charges as there was really nothing to the situation, and little would become of it. Just an honest accident. Parents threw me a $20 for spackle and a screen repair kit. Thoughts?

Nah!!! kids... been there done that. I'll call it even... make friends to the family and bring them kids to the shooting range and have fun...

moojersey · Oct 30, 2014

Yellowhand said:
What bothers me about this story is the kid shot through the screen, possibly with your brother as his sight picture...I wouldn't laud the family doing the right thing with a twenty spot and a can of Spackle. I would talk to the father with an assurance that the child would face corporal punishment for his indiscretion and a face to face apology to you and your family, otherwise, the cops would be involved if your demands aren't met. The child needs to know that this is a serious situation and to learn that you never aim a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy. That is how children learn right from wrong through consequences of their actions.

Yeah that is what bothers me as well. Just seems like too much of a coincidence. This could of ended very badly for my brother. All I could think about was he survived a VBIED explosion in Afghanistan only to come home and lose an eye to this little !@#. Burns my ass. I'll let bygones be bygones for now, but I'm keeping an eye on them. If I see that little brat out there shooting alone the Sheriffs will be getting a call. For the record the father did bring the little kid over. Kid couldn't really apologize through all his tears, so I guess he got his firearms safety lesson for the day. :thumbsup:

moojersey · Oct 30, 2014

BlackBart said:
Id have DAD repair the damage.......... new screen as well, NOT repaired that is unless you are seriously good friends with them.

That would be s a good idea and a fitting punishment, but honestly I am very selective about who I allow to come into my home.

moojersey · Oct 30, 2014

PapiBarcelona said:
Doesn't really matter what local and county regulations are now after the fact, plus we are talking about Cecil Tucky. the "investigation" took place and the OP got advice from a Deputy (I guess), received cash from the offenders parent later, and life will go on.

Doesn't sound like anything I'd get worked up over with.

Since the OP mentioned Sheriffs Office, he would likely not live in an incorporated city limits. A lot of people shoot in their backyards, just take a weekend drive up in them parts with your winders down.

Yes I got advice from a couple Sheriff's Deputy's who showed up. They are a good bunch. I was very impressed with the Cecil County Sheriff's Dept., even if I didn't totally agree with them. Just one of those cases they had been down this road before and nothing would become of it. Correct...I am not incorporated within any city or development. Considered 'county', and yes it is common practice for many folks to shoot in their yards.

Don H · Oct 30, 2014

Maybe you could have not accepted the money and had a contractor come in to repair and paint the drywall and fix the screen. That would have been a lot more that $20.
It's a good thing that you call the police since now there is a record of it so that if it happens again they'll know it's an ongoing problem.
Hopefully they get the point.

ezracer · Oct 30, 2014

Unfortunately, this is a clear case of 'DIMWIT' parents. IMHO, NO child under 18
should be left unsupervised with any kind of weapon.

Hopefully, the OP talked to the parents and stressed upon them the importance of supervising their children and the safety/legal issues involved.

However, I feel that the parents themselves are"children", and this type of thing will happen again in the future. I hope not. :innocent0

PapiBarcelona · Oct 30, 2014

Hopefully just an isolated incident of unintentional negligence. The guy gave you money, that says a lot more than most. Remember, it can always be worse.

I know a thing or two about property damage, years ago it used be people drunk who crashed into my fence and sped off if their car wasn't too badly damaged, now its DUI with a cell phone or other various sober distractions.

8 months Ive had 4 cars wind up totaled on my property, and 2 just minor damage all through negligence.

Replaced about 150 feet of fence this year, the county replaced 2 signs, re attached a hydrant that I'm sure holds Harford County record of being wrecked into the most, utility poles been hit, trees, yard torn up

montoya32 · Oct 30, 2014

Parents paid, without legal proceedings, so count your blessings no one was hurt and prime before you repaint the spackle mark.

PJDiesel · Oct 30, 2014

Your house has only been shot once?

Just kidding, I think you did the right thing by not going ballistic (aside from recovering the ballistics evidence).

Probably would feel differently if it was my house/brother, but, kids will be kids. If it was a 14 year old I'd have a different opinion on it. While I'm not condoning unsafe practices, we shot some shit as kids,..... LOTS of shit. I grew up down on the Canal. There were about 5 out of 25 houses that were anything other than summer cottages (vast majority besides ours were summer homes). We had the run of the place (armed 90% of the time).

rseymorejr · Oct 30, 2014

Be a good neighbor. Go over there and help the kid set up a safe backstop to shoot his pellet rifle at (away from your house!) Give him a 15 minute gun safety lesson and let it go.

If your house gets shot again you know it was deliberate and then go over and punch his father in the nose.

Kid Shot My House With Pellet Gun

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

Rifleman

Habitual Testifier

Banned

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Senior Member

No One of Consequence

Tactically Tactless

Active Member

Ultimate Member

Jr. Zombie Killer

Sic Semper Tyrannis

Sic Semper Tyrannis

Sic Semper Tyrannis

Ultimate Member

Certified Gun Nut

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Banned

Ultimate Member

Users who are viewing this thread

Log in

Forum statistics