General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Lots of blame for the Mother. Apparently Dad's off the hook , though, [View all]Chemisse
(30,807 posts)who are so quick to condemn people they have never known, and know next to nothing about.
I prefer to assume that mothers do the very best they can for their children - unless this is proven otherwise.
There are all sorts of situations which may have been happening here. The guns could have been locked up tight, and he found a way to access them. She could have trusted him completely, particularly if he had never shown signs of violence. I know I trust my son; mothers tend to want to do that, sometimes in the face of contraindications.
And it may be - most probably is - true that she was careless in some way that allowed him to get the guns. If that is the case, then she is fallible like the rest of us. She should not have had to pay with her life. And she surely does not deserve to have the hatred of the world upon her.