LA - Marie Smothers, 87, shot to death by 8yo boy, Slaughter, 22 Aug 2013

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FrayedKnot said:
This summer I met some amazing and dedicated teachers who CHOSE to go to the parishes in Acadiana and teach. Not for the money :), but for the children. They often bring food for these kids because they have no lunch nor lunch money. They buy the supplies on the list because they otherwise would not have materials needed to do school work.

These teachers are my HEROES. The families and situations they encounter are awful. And they do it every day because it is what is right. :)
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We have a lot of teachers that are that dedicated in our great state.
 
mck16 said:
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Oh dear. I hope you don't own a gun. jmo
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Nope. Good thing. All people get angry. But angry people with a loaded firearm often do things they can't take back. I choose to be rational and when I get angry, breathe, not shoot. :). It's crazy, I know.

But there are still some of us who prefer to resolve situations rather than start shooting people's brain out. SOOO cray cray, right?
 
Kimberlyd125 said:
We have a lot of teachers that are that dedicated in our great state.
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I really was AMAZED at how many in my doctorate program were NOT from LA, but chose to go there to help those kids.

Yes, truly amazing and dedicated! They earned my respect forever!
 
Kimberlyd125 said:
We have a lot of teachers that are that dedicated in our great state.
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It's so nice to hear that.

On another thread, posters were really being nasty about those public school teachers. And honestly, those teachers do I job I would never have the strength for. I admire those teachers and the sacrifices they make for their kids. :)
 
Mrs G Norris said:
If the child shot grandma in the back of the head while she was watching telly and it was intentional, that's a bit scary hey? I wouldn't be too cool about being around that kid etc, I actually think it would be better if he could be dealt with legally, I'm not suggesting he goes into custody, but going into the system for evaluation and treatment might not be a bad thing, and it should actually be a requirement before he returns to school.

Considering his age, and there will not be charges is there anything else the state can do to evaluate him for dangerousness and keep an eye on him?
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He will get help. That's why the parents have been ordered to be at the courthouse Monday morning. To find out what the family needs.

It's not like this is over and he will just go on back to his normal day to day.

I'm sure he and the parents will be evaluated.

JMO
 
Harmony2 said:
The circular debate about gun control or private gun ownership stops right here... please steer clear of those topics and stay focused on the case at hand...
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The 'Political Pavilion' is closed for review at the moment, but once it is opened, the gun debate can be discussed in the following thread for those interested but for now let's avoid a parallel discussion:

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community
 
I am 48 and my 4 and 5 year old granddaughters exhaust me. I can't imagine being 80-90 years old and keeping up with a child that's 8. I find it odd that this responsibility was placed on her. Someone should be helping to care for her at that age, she should not have been caring for a child. How could she properly do this?

This woman grew up in an era where it was common to have firearms around the house. She would not have known about violent video games and if she saw this young boy playing them and allowed it to continue, I question if she was of sound mind. Was she of sound mind to realize that the firearm was accessible to the child?

I'm sorry but I have a hard time speculating that grandma was negligent in anyway. I think the question is, why was this child in her care?
 
oceanblueeyes said:
I just gathered since it is said he was being raised by her that she was the owner of the gun. I just read a month or two back where a 78 year old woman saved herself from being killed because she drew her weapon on the perp.

I think the older people get they feel even more vulnerable and they can become targets just because of their age.

So many questions but it is very sad.

I just don't understand the rage in some of these very young children that make them capable of killing someone.

Is it the videos or some other kind of disconnect? I really don't know the answer. Maybe an accumulation of many things in society today.
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IMO it's a problem with attachment during those critical years from birth to age five.
 
IMO I really don't have enough information to form an opinion on this case.
 
Linda7NJ said:
IMO I really don't have enough information to form an opinion on this case.
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I feel the same way.

Not enough information at this point.

I don't think it's been said that she lived alone with the little boy.

There could have been others that lived there and helped take care of both of them.
 
I don't know enough facts to form an opinion of this either except horrible tragedy. However, I did read that he stayed there to be able to attend a certain school, and I can definitely understand that situation. Or that older women can sometimes get around great and want to help their kids. Also, the mention of kids there not having lunch, does Louisiana have the free lunch program?
 
Was this 8 yr old boy playing Grand Theft Auto right before he killed his Grandma? Aren't there ratings on recommended ages for viewing this video game? If so, what is that age? (and I'm not implying by asking this question that this is the root of the entire problem with violence---just asking as one of the precipitating factors in this horrendous act).
 
txsvicki said:
I don't know enough facts to form an opinion of this either except horrible tragedy. However, I did read that he stayed there to be able to attend a certain school, and I can definitely understand that situation. Or that older women can sometimes get around great and want to help their kids. Also, the mention of kids there not having lunch, does Louisiana have the free lunch program?
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Yes. We do.
 
ATasteOfHoney said:
Was this 8 yr old boy playing Grand Theft Auto right before he killed his Grandma? Aren't there ratings on recommended ages for viewing this video game? If so, what is that age? (and I'm not implying by asking this question that this is the root of the entire problem with violence---just asking as one of the precipitating factors in this horrendous act).
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Yes. It seems he was.

I think it's rated M and that would be 17 and up.
 
I refused to even buy a gaming system until my kid was 10 years old. While he has quite a few rates M games, Grand Theft Auto isn't allowed to be one of them.
 
Linda7NJ said:
I refused to even buy a gaming system until my kid was 10 years old. While he has quite a few rates M games, Grand Theft Auto isn't allowed to be one of them.
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My 16 year old is allowed to buy grand theft auto legally here (the rating is MA15+) but he knows it will be an utter waste of money because I would never allow it in my home.
 
Cappuccino said:
I'm very glad they can't name him. That way he can't spend the rest of his life being ostracised and rejected for something he did before he was old enough to know better.
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I just hope that he and his parents get services to prevent this young child from ever committing another crime.

There's definitely a moral to this story....I can't comment much more because like other posters have stated, there is not enough info to go on.

But....

8 year olds shouldn't be playing grand theft auto or any other violent video game. (IMO) They shouldn't be watching others play it either!

and...I will say it again....a 90 year old should not be responsible for caring for a 8 year old child......

The school district thing is just an excuse for something bigger. If you want your child to attend school somewhere else then move in that district or like a lot of people do just fudge the address. Or, move into the home with 90 year old grandma and help take care of her and the child....
 
Cappuccino said:
I'm very glad they can't name him. That way he can't spend the rest of his life being ostracised and rejected for something he did before he was old enough to know better.
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Maybe.....then again, maybe not.

How do we know if this victim (the Grandmother) didn't spend time with this killer-child going over prayers like the 10 Commandments and things like that?

I'm not completely sold on the idea that he didn't know the seriousness of guns and some level of their finite nature when one decides to shoot them.

Not sure.

And I'm not sure if he was prone to violence prior to this and this was progressive escalation.
 
ATasteOfHoney said:
Maybe.....then again, maybe not.

How do we know if this victim (the Grandmother) didn't spend time with this killer-child going over prayers like the 10 Commandments and things like that?

I'm not completely sold on the idea that he didn't know the seriousness of guns and some level of their finite nature when one decides to shoot them.

Not sure.

And I'm not sure if he was prone to violence prior to this and this was progressive escalation.
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My own mother is almost 90 and I assure you she would have no problem caring for an 8 year old. Ninety today is often like seventy just a decade or two ago.
 
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