WI - 10-year old charged as adult for shooting mother to death for refusal to buy VR headset - 12/3/22

[JoeFromLB]

10-Year-Old Fatally Shoots Mom in Face for Not Getting Him a VR Headset

Now I've heard everything. He also has a long history of rage issues and hears voices. Held on $50,000 bond and possibly to be charged as an adult.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I hope that charging him as an adult is a formality to get him the very-long-term mental health help he needs.

I wish real help was more easily available for families who have a child like this one. It sounds like they've needed help for a long time.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

From the link in the first post:

The boy allegedly went on Amazon and purchased the item — an Oculus Virtual Reality Headset — the morning after he fatally shot his mother. The same morning he attacked his 7-year-old cousin, leading his aunt to take him to his grandmother’s house where child welfare workers were, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The boy allegedly told his grandmother, “I’m really sorry for what happened. I’m sorry for killing my mom,” before asking if his Amazon package had arrived.

ETA: warning there is a DOG in the story at the link. Dog is ok but very sad for those of us with those triggers...

 

[Lwieckowicz]

From the link in the first post:

The boy allegedly went on Amazon and purchased the item — an Oculus Virtual Reality Headset — the morning after he fatally shot his mother. The same morning he attacked his 7-year-old cousin, leading his aunt to take him to his grandmother’s house where child welfare workers were, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The boy allegedly told his grandmother, “I’m really sorry for what happened. I’m sorry for killing my mom,” before asking if his Amazon package had arrived.

He sounds detached from reality with major impulse control issues. I worked in mental facilities for years, sadly many of these stories of mental illness are very similar, access to solutions is limited, even the facilities I worked in I wouldn’t call a solution. It’s very sad

 

[rkendmar]

I hope that charging him as an adult is a formality to get him the very-long-term mental health help he needs.

I wish real help was more easily available for families who have a child like this one. It sounds like they've needed help for a long time.

From what I've seen several parents and grandparents go through, It is almost impossible to get help for severely disturbed children until *something* happens.
JMO.

 

[JoeFromLB]

What got to me especially, besides the story of the pet dog, was that he "hears voices" including from a man he calls "mean".

Not to drag religion into this, but I wonder if the "mean" man might have told him to do certain things. I admit to being interested in extreme psychiatric (or otherwise) cases like this. I want to know more. Maybe I shouldn't pry into this too deeply...

What is obvious is this is an extremely dangerous 10-year-old.

 

[Lwieckowicz]

From what I've seen several parents and grandparents go through, It is almost impossible to get help for severely disturbed children until *something* happens.
JMO.

That’s right, help can only be forced after a crime has been committed. Many people try time and time again but it takes the situation regressing to a dangerous level. I say forced because the majority of people I’ve worked with didn’t want help, they weren’t in the state of mind to make good choices for themselves and many end up on conservatorship after committing a violent offense then they have to figure out placement for this person, who likely needed it long before the incident.

 

[borndem]

10-Year-Old Fatally Shoots Mom in Face for Not Getting Him a VR Headset

Now I've heard everything. He also has a long history of rage issues and hears voices. Held on $50,000 bond and possibly to be charged as an adult.

I am not a psychiatrist or a psychologist, but this sounds like it could be intermittent explosive disorder. JMO, and to be taken with a few grains of salt.

This is a sad, sad situation -- no one will ever be the same, of course. Hoping he and the rest of his family will be able to get good, sound counseling.

 

[megs1477]

Boy, 10, killed mom for not buying him VR headset, prosecutors say
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Prosecutors say a 10-year-old Milwaukee boy aimed a gun at his mother, then shot and killed her, because she would not buy him a virtual reality headset.

The boy was charged as an adult last week with first-degree reckless homicide.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by the Journal Sentinel, the boy initially told police the shooting was an accident.

But then he later said he purposely aimed at his mom. The boy’s relatives told detectives he has mental health issues.
Wisconsin law requires children as young as 10 to be charged as adults for certain serious crimes, though the case could be moved to juvenile court.

 

[WingsOverTX]

Boy, 10, killed mom for not buying him VR headset, prosecutors say
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Prosecutors say a 10-year-old Milwaukee boy aimed a gun at his mother, then shot and killed her, because she would not buy him a virtual reality headset.

The boy was charged as an adult last week with first-degree reckless homicide.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by the Journal Sentinel, the boy initially told police the shooting was an accident.

But then he later said he purposely aimed at his mom. The boy’s relatives told detectives he has mental health issues.
Wisconsin law requires children as young as 10 to be charged as adults for certain serious crimes, though the case could be moved to juvenile court.

10 yo charged as an adult? What, if any, mental health help was this pre-teen getting? Why did he have access to a loaded gun?

Negligence has occurred. Someone(s) should be held accountable for any acts of negligence.

Child needs help. Will it be denied if he is charged as an adult?

Not a good trend in society when laws do not take into account punishing more than the act itself when a young child is a perp.

JMHO

 

[Elley Mae]

Snipped.

He said he was twirling the gun around his finger when it went off. The boy was allowed to stay with family, and an initial release from police says the shooting was caused by a child "playing" with a gun.

A day later, concerned relatives called police.

10-year-old Wisconsin boy shoots his mother because she wouldn't buy him a VR headset

A Milwaukee boy intentionally shot and killed his mother because she wouldn't buy him a VR headset. The boy was charged as an adult with first-degree reckless homicide.

www.foxnews.com

The boy's aunt said that when she picked up the boy, he retrieved a set of house keys that contained a key to the gun's lock box. When his aunt asked about the shooting, the boy said he pointed the gun at his mom, and that she told him to put it down.

The boy's aunt and sister said he never cried or showed remorse. They also said he logged into his mother’s Amazon account and ordered an Oculus Virtual Reality Headset the morning after she died. That same morning, he physically attacked his 7-year-old cousin.

…

 

[StrangeOne]

I'm just hearing about this. It's horrifying to think this 10-year-old can be charged as an adult. Does anyone know if he was under the care of a psychologist or psychiatrist?

 

[Bishop Black]

Wisconsin boy, 10, charged as adult in alleged killing of mom over Amazon purchase

A 10-year-old Wisconsin boy has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting his mother because she wouldn't buy him a VR headset.

www.foxnews.com

A 10-year-old boy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is being charged as an adult after allegedly shooting and killing his 44-year-old mother last week because he was mad she wouldn't buy him a video game headset from Amazon.

The boy faces a first-degree murder charge and up to 60 years in prison if convicted in the fatal shooting.

An aunt reportedly told investigators the 10-year-old never cried or showed remorse for his mother's death. The complaint also alleges the boy told his aunt he was "actually aiming the gun at his mother." On the day after his mother's death, the aunt said he apologized for killing his mom and then asked if his Amazon package arrived.

 

[MurderMittens]

I dont have words.... reminds me of another WI case....

 

[borndem]

I don't see this 10 y/o being tried as an adult -- he could be analyzed by a medical professional as being unfit for trial due to mental illness, or a judge could possibly nullify his being charged as an adult, if a judge has the power to do this in Wisconsin. We'll see how this goes.
One thing that is very clear -- the weapon was locked, and that was a good thing, but the child knew were the weapon was and he apparently knew where the key (or whatever) to it was.
Absolutely cold-blooded murder, period. His knowing the location of the weapon and the key was extremely irresponsible by the parent(s) to keep the weapon secure.
Anyway, this was indeed murder, so we'll see. SMH.
I do wonder how things were within this family -- no excuses for him, certainly, but there's always more to the story. <sigh>

 

[Lilibet]

I imagine that he is charged as an adult initially, but that will be reduced as more information becomes available. It’s easier to lower the charge than to raise it. We’ve seen this happen even on adult cases before…charged with first degree murder, lowered to second degree.

 

[swanniee11]

I imagine that he is charged as an adult initially, but that will be reduced as more information becomes available. It’s easier to lower the charge than to raise it. We’ve seen this happen even on adult cases before…charged with first degree murder, lowered to second degree.

I agree, however, this child obviously has serious issues. I pray he gets the help he needs but he will be punished. For the aunt to go to LE says something. IMO

 

[Snoopster]

There is no way a 10-year-old should be charged as an adult. Their brains simply aren't formed enough at that age. Is it possible that he has mental health problems? Of course! He should be under the care of health professionals.

 

[Lilibet]

I agree, however, this child obviously has serious issues. I pray he gets the help he needs but he will be punished. For the aunt to go to LE says something. IMO

There is no way a 10-year-old should be charged as an adult. Their brains simply aren't formed enough at that age. Is it possible that he has mental health problems? Of course! He should be under the care of health professionals.

Yes, he clearly has mental health issues and is a danger to others. We can certainly hope he will receive the mental health treatment he needs…and that he is locked up as a juvenile until he is 25. This is what was done with a 12 year old boy in my community who stabbed his mother to death because she took away his computer privileges.

14-year-old Ashland boy sentenced in mother's murder

A 14-year-old Ashland boy who murdered his mother with a knife and attacked his sister nearly two years ago had been playing violent video games “for a period of time” prior to the attack, prosecutors said Monday morning during his sentencing. Jackson County Deputy District Attorney Ruby...

nbc16.com

Ashland boy who murdered his mother sentenced - KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2

MEDFORD, Ore. – An Ashland boy who stabbed his mother to death and injured his sister will remain in custody until he’s 25 years old, prosecutors said. The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office said before the stabbing occurred on January 10, 2017, the then-12-year-old boy had been “watching...

kobi5.com

 

[borndem]

Good post ,(no. 19 above), @Lilibet.
It helps put things in perspective. A child who does these kinds of things does indeed need to be kept away from the public for an appropriate length of time. Assuming parole hearings will be held after whatever period the state statutes say is appropriate.
Psychological counseling and testing should be done on the child -- to protect the public as well as to help and protect the child, and to measure how ready a person is if he/she asks for a parole hearing.
IMO, someone with this type of problem/personality will likely be in treatment (hopefully) and in prison for quite a few years.