GUNS FOUND AT TEEN SLAYING-SUSPECT'S HOME IN TENN.

[SummerSnow]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/15-year-old-charged-fatal-shooting-us-armory


More kids with guns

LOBELVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Police found a store of firearms Thursday at the home of a 15-year-old boy charged with shooting a longtime member of the National Guard at a Tennessee armory as investigators explored possible motives, an official said.

"Several" weapons were uncovered in the search, said Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesman Josh DeVine, and ballistic experts examined whether any were involved in Wednesday's shooting in the rural community of Lobelville, about 50 miles southwest of Nashville.

DeVine said agents were looking into "all leads" to piece together the "circumstances ... and the motivation for the crime." But the analyses of the weapons found at the teen's house suggested the suspect did not use a gun seized at the armory.

The suspect didn't work at the armory, which is usually locked, but somehow gained access to the building and fired several shots, authorities said. One struck Sgt. 1st Class Michael W. Braden, 45, who had been with the guard for more than 20 years and served two tours in Kuwait, law enforcement and Guard officials said. He died later at a hospital.

[Trajan]

1. Most of us prefer a short 4 paragraph excerpt ..

I won't open that link ...

[rocktivity]

2. "It's always a tragedy when we lose a soldier under any conditions,

Last edited Fri Jul 11, 2014, 11:42 AM - Edit history (4)

but to lose one like this is heart wrenching," said Maj. Gen. Terry "Max" Haston, who oversees the state's National Guard...

(A)t least one other person in addition to the shooter and the victim was at the armory at the time of the shooting...(but) DeVine said it was unclear whether there were any eyewitnesses...

It was unclear whether the suspect and victim knew each other...Braden, a father of three children...often supervised local inmates assigned to help clean the armory and would try to find them jobs or encourage them to consider military service after their release from custody...

The teenager, who was expelled from high school for drug offenses, was being held without bond at a juvenile detention facility...The suspect was arrested without incident at his family's home...(A) neighbor...said the boy lived with his aunt and arrived about a year ago from Louisiana...and described him as "quiet."

20 years of service, two Gulf war tours, one 15-year old with a gun and a problem -- damn right it's a tragedy.

I think the shooter knew Braden -- I doubt that he happened to come across the "usually locked" armory with a gun and "got lucky." I'd start looking for leads with Braden's children, especially if they're teenagers -- the connection between him and the shooter could be there.


rocktivity

[rocktivity]

3. Christopher Farrar, 15, was formally charged with criminal homicide

...He was taken into custody at his family's Lobelville home on Wednesday and was being held without bond in a Rutherford County juvenile detention facility...The teenager had no prior charges in Perry County but had been previously kicked out of a Springfield-area school...He was home-schooled at the time of his arrest.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation...spokesman Josh Devine said investigators are still trying to establish motive in the case, along with how Farrar was able to enter the secured facility...Anyone entering the armory had to be buzzed in from inside the building, said Tennessee National Guard Adjutant Gen. Max Haston.

Braden's family — which includes his wife, Jennifer; two daughters; a son; and a stepdaughter — is struggling to come to terms with his sudden death...​

A home-schooled druggie with a roomful of guns -- absolutely fabulous.

The OP story says there was only one other person in the armory beside Braden, so either one of them let Fararr in, or Fararr had a key (or key code?). I wonder if any of the other Bradens did.


rocktivity