Maryland boy, 8, charged in shooting of girl, 7

[Stockholm]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Maryland prosecutors have filed charges against an 8-year-old boy who shot and wounded a 7-year-old girl after threatening to rob her at a suburban day-care center, The Washington Post said on Wednesday.

The boy's father, "a felon with a lengthy record," was arrested and charged with leaving a firearm within reach of an unsupervised minor and other offenses after the Tuesday shooting, the Post said.

The third-grader had sneaked his father's .38-caliber revolver into the facility in his backpack on Tuesday, the paper said, quoting law-enforcement officials. He had been suspended in the past for bringing a weapon to school.

Police had initially said the boy accidentally shot the girl, a second-grade student, as a group of six children were attending a before-school program at the For Kids We Care day-care center in Germantown, Maryland, a Washington suburb.

more http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-01-25T094318Z_01_N24169514_RTRUKOC_0_US-CRIME-DAYCARE.xml

[wakeme2008]

1. the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree nt

[LisaL]

3. You might say that again.

"But the Post said, "The sources said the boy threatened to rob the girl and then fired the gun once, striking her in the upper right arm."
:shrug:

[jody]

2. If the father is a felon, he broke at least one federal law and should be

prosecuted in federal courts. The maximum sentence is at least 10 years.

DoJ has not aggressively prosecuted such crimes over the past two decades making federal gun laws ineffective. Of course if DoJ prosecuted such crimes and convictions were given, then federal government would become responsible for prison costs. :shrug:

ON EDIT ADD:
Apparently the child had committed similar crimes in the past. If true, he broke federal law and should also be prosecuted by DoJ.

[xchrom]

4. if she had a gun she could have defended herself.

:hide:

[StClone]

6. It's the day care's fault

Seems they didn't have metal detectors or body searches or any other measures to insure the safety against toddler on toddler gun violence. The NRA should make a public good will show and donate millions for such to day cares that don't have the technology and training.

[xchrom]

7. lol -- ''toddler on toddler gun violence. ''

you're good!

i love a good writer.

[mark11727]

8. In Florida, she could've blown him away...

...Gunfight at the Tiny Tots Corral. :(

[rodeodance]

5. oh how scary for staff, students and families for this happen--they are

so young. so so young.