Another unarmed 17-year-old is shot dead -- this time, charges come quickly

[LuckyTheDog]

But, then again, it's on the north and the victim is white. So, I don't expect Fox News and radio talkers to climb over themselves to defend this shooter (the kid's grandmother):

A 74-year-old woman has been charged with open murder in the shooting death of her 17-year-old grandson.

Sandra Layne was arraigned Monday afternoon in 48th District Court.

WWJ Newsradio 950?s Marie Osborne reported the petite elderly woman was wearing an orange jumpsuit and shackles as the judge ordered her held without bond. She did not look at the judge or attorneys but instead waved and blew kisses to her husband.

Police said Jonathan Hoffman was killed late Friday afternoon in his grandparents’ West Bloomfield Township home, where he lived.

More here: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/05/21/classmates-remember-17-year-old-allegedly-killed-by-grandmother/

[obliviously]

1. is the victim white or Hispanic white?

[Marrah_G]

3. This seems like a very different sort of story

Some sort of domestic violence or mental illness.

[Marrah_G]

2. Dementia?

The story seems really bizarre.

[slackmaster]

4. Sure sounds like it. Article notes also that "drugs" were found in the home

Maybe Grandma has "issues."

[Marrah_G]

7. I can't imagine what it must have been like during that kids final moments.

Horrifying. And his parents, they must be going through hell knowing that they left him with her. Can you imagine your parent murdering your child?

Also, the blowing kisses in the court room and the note that a competency hearing was likely leads me to think she was either mentally ill or maybe on some serious drugs ( meth?). They also said she just bought the gun.

[d_r]

9. My God

I can't imagine being those parents. Talk about the stress of the sandwich generation, that must be pure hell.

[HiPointDem]

13. or maybe the kid was a druggie stealing from and threatening the g-parents. i say that having

only read the op, where g-ma gives a thumbs-up and someone says drugs were found.

no resemblance to the martin case that i can see from the op, though.

[Marrah_G]

14. Sadly if she had never bought the gun the kid would still be alive

When things are emotionally unstable the last thing that should ever enter the picture is a gun. It's to easy to make a very bad decision that you can never take back.

[hfojvt]

5. apparently the grandmother

does not have a broken nose or cuts to the back of her head.

What a sad story.

Although sometimes you apparently do need to defend yourself from teenage boys

http://mydeathspace.com/article/2007/01/28/Josh_Gilchrist_(16)_slashed_his_mom_to_death_with_a_medieval_sword_before_being_shot_dead_by_police

[cali]

6. oh for fuck's sake. Why compare this to the Trayvon Martin Case?

Really, what the fuck is the point?

Stupid.

[NNN0LHI]

10. Hey, so it wasn't the greatest post of the year

There is no need to go after the poster like that. All that is going to do is make some people gun shy about posting here.

We all post some bummers on occasion.

It happens cali.

Hope you have been recuperating well from your accident.

Take care and see you later.

Don

[kudzu22]

11. Really

the only similarity is that someone was unarmed and now dead. Happens hundreds of times every week.

[RagAss]

8. Sounds like Uncle Junior shooting Tony.

[RZM]

12. This has almost no similarities with Trayvon, other than the fact that somebody is dead

Are we now going to compare every death in the country to what happened in Sanford?

These two people were family and lived together. Those facts alone puts it in an entirely different category.