Woman shoots grandson; thought he was an intruder

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Sheriff’s deputies in Florida say a 7-year-old boy is in critical condition after his grandmother mistook him for an intruder and shot him.

The shooting happened around 1 a.m. Tuesday in Tampa.

According to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s officials, 63-year-old Linda Maddox and her twin grandsons were sleeping after their father had left for work. Maddox told deputies she had placed a chair against the bedroom door handle for extra protection. When she heard the chair sliding against the floor, she assumed it was an intruder and grabbed a loaded .22-caliber revolver she keeps by the bed and fired one shot in the dark toward the door.

Deputies say seconds later she heard the screams of her grandson Tyler Maddox. He was shot once in the upper body. He was taken to a hospital.

http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2024342750_womanshootsgrandsonxml.html

VJ thinks this woman acted correctly!

[JohnR! 5,495]

Well, in all fairness, the 7-yo kid should have announced his presence lest she might think - as she did - he was a burglar. What in the world was he thinking?

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Another case of an irresponsible gun owner. Always know what you are shooting at.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Guns are the best way to protect oneself and those that one loves. Hope the gun, I mean kid, is ok.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Well, in all fairness, the 7-yo kid should have announced his presence lest she might think - as she did - he was a burglar. What in the world was he thinking?

Yeah, what was that kid thinking? Being thirsty, wanting nana, he totally deserved it!

I used to think that saying "Who's there" would have been a good thing to do to avoid such a situation, but VJ told me that it was a tactical mistake that would wind up with me getting killed! Because I would let the intruder know I was in there! Thanks VJ!

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Yeah, what was that kid thinking? Being thirsty, wanting nana, he totally deserved it!

I used to think that saying "Who's there" would have been a good thing to do to avoid such a situation, but VJ told me that it was a tactical mistake that would wind up with me getting killed! Because I would let the intruder know I was in there! Thanks VJ!

No sense focusing on an idiot that has children sleeping in the house and fires a gun through a door because they heard they heard a noise.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

No sense focusing on an idiot that has children sleeping in the house and fires a gun through a door because they heard they heard a noise.

Oh, so she should have said, who's there? What about that tactical advantage people told me about?

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Oh, so she should have said, who's there? What about that tactical advantage people told me about?

Spin it any way you like. A person with the slightest amount of gray matter might think it was the child making noise, not an intruder. She shot at something she couldn't see. Perhaps a few of you should take a gun safety course for the fun of it, just so you'd have an idea of proper safety procedures.

Funny you never hear about these idiots shooting their dog or cat because they heard a noise. If I heard a noise at night, my first thought would be one of the animals unless I heard breaking glass.

[decocker 7,198]

this just happened here too...dad shot his daughter as she snuck back in the house, thinking she was an intruder.http://www.winchester.daily-monitor.com/16-year-girl-shot-by-father-while-attempting-to-sneak-back-into-home/18835/

[JohnR! 5,495]

Duh! Everyone knows that. You shoot first, to quell your fear and to assert the power a gun confers, and then you ask questions. Heroes always shoot first!

Seriously, it could always be Obama breaking into your house to take away your guns and ammo!

Yeah, what was that kid thinking? Being thirsty, wanting nana, he totally deserved it!

I used to think that saying "Who's there" would have been a good thing to do to avoid such a situation, but VJ told me that it was a tactical mistake that would wind up with me getting killed! Because I would let the intruder know I was in there! Thanks VJ!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This is yet another in a long line of similar incidents which just goes to show that a lot of people who have guns shouldn't have them. They cause more problems than they solve.

People who get guns out of fear tend to use them out of fear.

What stupid and totally pointless situation. Poor little boy.

[Boiler 43,436]

A teen sunbathing in her driveway last week suffered fatal injuries when her sister accidentally drove over her head.

Marli Hamblin, 15, was wearing headphones and listening to music Friday while lying on a blanket in the driveway of her home in Syracuse, Utah, Fox 13 reported. At around noon, Hamblin’s older sister backed out of the garage in a truck and, not realizing her sister was there, backed over the girl's head.

Hamblin suffered head injuries and died Sunday afternoon.

The victim, who had four siblings, enjoyed playing piano and had just made the cheerleading team at Syracuse High School, KUTV reported.

“She was always smiling and she was just spunky,” her aunt, Noelle Kelley, told the Standard Examiner.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Spin it any way you like. A person with the slightest amount of gray matter might think it was the child making noise, not an intruder. She shot at something she couldn't see. Perhaps a few of you should take a gun safety course for the fun of it, just so you'd have an idea of proper safety procedures.

Funny you never hear about these idiots shooting their dog or cat because they heard a noise. If I heard a noise at night, my first thought would be one of the animals unless I heard breaking glass.

What's gray matter? Is that another term for a gun?

[aaydrian 479]

One detail from the report kinda has me confused. Was it the granny or the kids that were barracaded in their rooms? And why the heck would someone who has other people in their house, ESPECIALLY kids, do that?

[Janelle2002 3,865]

One detail from the report kinda has me confused. Was it the granny or the kids that were barracaded in their rooms? And why the heck would someone who has other people in their house, ESPECIALLY kids, do that?

Had a chair against the door. Clearly a responsible gun nut who was itching to let off a few rounds.