Parents convicted in girl's accidental shooting

[depakid]

The parents of a 2-year-old Vacaville girl who was accidentally shot to death by her 8-year-old brother have been convicted of criminal charges, an attorney in the case said Friday.

Michael Shanahan, 28, and Daniela Shanahan, 26, could each face up to two years in prison in connection with the Sept. 23 death of Ayana Shanahan.

Prosecutors are seeking two-year prison terms when both are sentenced April 30. But defense attorneys will argue for probation on the grounds that the parents have already suffered enough, said Michael Shanahan's lawyer, Anthony Finkas.

"Obviously, they are devastated by what happened," Finkas said. "They're serving a life sentence based on their apparent negligence. Ayana was shot once in the head at the family's home on the 1000 block of Syracuse Circle as her brother was playing with a handgun.

The boy did not think the gun was real, police said. The parents were home at the time.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/06/BASO1CBEIP.DTL#ixzz0hPWGP5j6

[Fumesucker]

1. Guns don't kill people, children with guns do.. n/t

[ingac70]

2. I hope they get prison time. n/t

[Euromutt]

5. What good would that do?

It won't bring the dead child back to life. It won't impress upon the parents the need to keep firearms securely stored any more than the loss of a child will. What social use will it be except to satisfy some lust for vengeance on your part?

And if your answer is "to act as a deterrent to other gun owners not to be cavalier about firearms storage," well, call me strange, but I think it's fundamentally unjust to punish person A for a crime that person B might commit at some unspecified later date.

[ingac70]

10. They killed that kid....

no different than they pulled the trigger themselves. And they are too stupid to have or be around children.

[Euromutt]

15. That doesn't answer my question

The question being: what good will incarcerating them do?

Fine, you put 'em both away for negligent manslaughter, exacerbating California's already disgustingly overcrowded prison system, and after a 3 to 4 years, they're released again. You've destroyed the family, probably comprehensively trashed the futures of the various members, and for what? None of it brings the dead kid back.

The parents are already going to have to live it with every day for the rest of their lives. What social good is served by making them even more miserable?

[ingac70]

18. Perhaps it will save other children from similar stupidity.

They can serve as a warning. Some folks may not give a flip about their kids, but they do care about getting tossed in prison.

[Euromutt]

19. In other words, punish them for something someone else *might* do

The very thing I already mentioned (in post #5) I don't accept as a valid reason. I believe the criminal justice system may only punish people for offenses they themselves have committed; not for offenses they might commit, not for offenses someone else has committed, and certainly not for offenses someone else might commit. Accordingly, I'm opposed to defendants "being made an example of."

Now, let me make myself clear: I think this couple was phenomenally stupid to leave a loaded firearm unsecured, and I think a felony conviction (which will legally prohibit them from owning firearms again) is definitely in order, but as far as judicially imposed punishment goes, I think a suspended sentence should suffice. They already have to live with the consequences of their actions.

[mvccd1000]

20. Too stupid to have children?

If we're locking people up for that now, I think you can go to a lot of probation offices, or economic security offices, or hourly rental hotels, and find plenty of people who need locking up.

[Katya Mullethov]

21. You wanna knock over plenty of collectivist ricebowls

I like the way you roll .

[AnOhioan]

3. Good....they should be charged...totally and completely negligent

[Katya Mullethov]

7. Make everyone left wards of the state

Fucking groovy commrade !

[oneshooter]

4. Meanwhile back in OZ

Bikie gang crime claims point to turf war

The Gang Crime Squad dossier comes as police:
* Seized a stolen high-powered Magnum .44 Dirty Harry-style firearm after it was delivered to the front verge of a Mt Hawthorn house - the home of a Comanchero associate's relative - with ammunition and a replica revolver on Wednesday.

Gang Crime officers seized 111 firearms - 84 from bikies, nominees and associates - in the two years to December 2009. In addition, about 16 bikies and nominees are in WA jails.

Proposed anti-association laws, to be introduced to State Parliament in months, would give police the power to ban bikies from associating with each other and visiting certain places.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/bikie-crime-claims-point-to-turf-war/story-e6frg13u-1225837723127


Woman killed in Melbourne hostage drama

A WOMAN'S dead and a man's now in custody following an alleged hostage situation.
The scene was also believed to have been witnessed by children.
A 12-year-old girl suffered minor injuries, believed to be stab wounds, the Herald Sun reports.
It is understood she also has rope burns.
Police and ambulance officers tried to revive a 30-year-old woman with CPR when they arrived at the Melbourne house on Albert St, Kilmore.
However, she was pronounced dead at the scene last night about 6pm.

http://www.news.com.au/national/woman-killed-in-kilmore-hostage-drama/story-e6frfkvr-1225837747841


Man stabbed with broken bottle in Brisbane CBD brawl

A MAN has been stabbed with a broken bottle during a clash between two groups of people in Brisbane City this morning.
The 25-year-old suffered puncture wounds to the lower back and hip in the fight in George Street at about 1am.
He was found outside the Treasury Casino after fleeing from the brawl.
Another man who was allegedly responsible for the stabbing, was found unconscious nearby.
Both men were taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital for treatment.
Police said no complaint had been lodged but inquiries into the attack were continuing.


http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/man-stabbed-with-broken-bottle-in-brisbane-cbd-brawl/story-e6freoof-1225834153303


Such peace and harmony, in the Land of OZ

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[depakid]

6. Hit-And-Run Leads To Shooting; Teenage Texas Girl Killed

HOUSTON (March 5, 2010)—Richard Calderon, 24, of Houston, has been charged with murder in the shooting death of a 13-year-old girl in an incident that started as a hit-and-run accident.

Calderon didn’t stop after the car he was driving smashed into another vehicle in which the teenage girl was riding. The driver of the second vehicle gave chase in an attempt to get a license number, police said, but Calderon then somehow ended up pursuing his pursuer and opened fire on the second car.

Police think the girl, whose name wasn’t immediately released, was looking out the back window of the car when she was struck late Wednesday. Calderon, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon, was charged Thursday.

He told officers that he thought he saw something shiny in the front-seat passenger's hand, and that's why he fired, police said.

More: http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/86606152.html

CCW dispute resolution... ending with a death and a prison term.

[cowman]

12. Yeah and this

happens all the time with us CCW's:sarcasm: :rofl: Oh wait it doesn't. I've been carrying for years now and I have never felt the urge to chase down someone and open fire and the same goes for the vast majority of CCW holders. Nice try but fail

[friendly_iconoclast]

13. Our fellow DUer may be seeking office in Oz. Like this other US transplant:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristina_Keneally

Playing the "caring progressive Catholic" card worked for KK. Obviously, a USAian immigrant would some street cred
to get anywhere, so why not use the "Look how awful the States are, that's why I'm here" schtick?

Hence, the "It bleeds, so it leads" posts.

[friendly_iconoclast]

8. The cops might have been busy arresting people for listening to the "wrong" music

http://www.standard.net.au/news/local/news/general/come-listen-to-the-creep-show/1767914.aspx

It must be said, however, that the cop might have done the right thing:

The kid might have been emboldened into attacking someone by having listened to it.
It's well know that inanimate objects induce people into comitting crimes. It's how they roll
in the fair society

[proteus_lives]

9. Ban bad parents.

[aikoaiko]

11. Give gun owning parents of children lock boxes, hand gun safes, or large firearm safes

I gave one as a baby shower present. Although some of the other guests were surprised, the couple were delighted. They had been keeping a Glock 17 in there nightstand. Now it lives in a push-button metal lock box. Newborn babies bring lots of bills. Help a gun owner by purchasing one as a present. Its a lot more fun shopping for a gun lock box than Lily Pulitzer onsies.

This is the one where I keep a .357 on the piano in my living room ($125)


I recently ordered this one from Midway, USA. ($35)


Heck even a plastic gun case with a combination lock will do the job of keeping curious kids from guns ($20 total)

+

Or you can go bigtime and get the Slackmaster monster safe.

[Euromutt]

16. I got one of these:

The "Titan Gun Vault" http://www.titangunvault.com/gun-safe/titan-gun-vault

Mind you, I got mine two and a half years ago, when the unit price was half of what it is now. But it is made of thicker steel than most lock-boxes, and it has a neat mechanism that extends the firearm in its internal holster when the door is opened. A larger holster for semi-autos fitted with weapon lights is also available.

If you bought your handgun new, it probably came with a plastic gun case, and very likely a cable lock. However, I would advise against storing a firearm in one, depending on where exactly you live, because the foam padding will retain moisture and thus promote corrosion. If you live somewhere particularly dry, this is less of an issue than if you live in, say, western Washington (like me).

[aikoaiko]

17. I plan on getting one of those myself.

Its a good design.

[TPaine7]

14. This proves that depakid's policy preferences should be implemented immediately. n/t