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Police: Boy, 15, Shot By Homeowner After Knocking At Wrong House

When I first read the OP I figured it must have happened in the middle of the night. Nope. 1:00 pm on a Saturday.

Doesn't look good. Also, shooting blindly through doors doesn't seem to have a great track record.
 
Police: Boy, 15, Shot By Homeowner After Knocking At Wrong House « CBS Boston
I saw this story, and thought there has to be more here.
I am guessing the boys were banging loudly on the door, and perhaps refusing to leave.
At some point their knocking broke the window on the door, and the homeowner shot through the door.

The teens (plural) "had been drinking alcohol" and banged on the door until they broke the window.
Translation: A bunch of drunks were pounding on the door. The homeowner didn't know that they were teens, only that his house was under assault. He shot through the door and killed one of them. Now he's facing murder charges.

Remember the kid with the bb gun that looked real? Shot by cops. Just an unarmed teen who looked threatening. Cops aren't charged with murder. Why should this homeowner be charged with murder?
 
The teens (plural) "had been drinking alcohol" and banged on the door until they broke the window.
Translation: A bunch of drunks were pounding on the door. The homeowner didn't know that they were teens, only that his house was under assault. He shot through the door and killed one of them. Now he's facing murder charges.

Remember the kid with the bb gun that looked real? Shot by cops. Just an unarmed teen who looked threatening. Cops aren't charged with murder. Why should this homeowner be charged with murder?

Because cops are rarely held accountable for their actions, where as the Citizenry will often face full retribution (unless they're rich...then they can also do as they like with little to fear of accountability).
 
This is why I do not own a gun but I own a taser.
 
It will be interesting to see more details on this when they come out.
Police said they were called to the house at 12:56 p.m. for a report of a breaking and entering,
MA may have different laws but I thought a charge of murder required some intent.
 
Once he broke the glass after being told to leave the homeowner had every right to shot, he had several people trying to get into his home and felt in fear for his life and property. Justified. Now for the actual crime committed, they were at someone's home drinking in the middle of the day and were teens, how did they get the alcohol, someone needs to be charged. Tragic, yes, a crime to protect himself no, no jury in their right mind would convict him of anything.
 
Because cops are rarely held accountable for their actions, where as the Citizenry will often face full retribution (unless they're rich...then they can also do as they like with little to fear of accountability).

That's so cynical that it's most likely correct.
 
Against several intruders you would be the one getting tased.

Nope I have three of them...two beside my bed (all loaded). Plus reloads (I got a discount).

And my security system would let me know the second they come anywhere near my place and screaming at them as soon as they entered my premises.

Plus, there are now tasers that can take out three people at once.

Sure, a large, well armed, determined group could take me out. But come on now...the odds of that are ridiculous.

And one thing is virtually certain...no children would be killed by mistake.


I am not going to get into some - 'yeah, but can your tasers do this' nonsense.

For 95+% of intruders I can handle it and the chances of an innocent getting killed is almost nonexistent.

You don't like 'em...whatever.

I do.
 
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These kids were so drunk that they didn't know where they were. They were pounding on his door until one of them forced a hand through the door. I can't say what I would have done in this case but I give the sober home owner the right to decide.
 
Did the window pane break because they intentionally broke it out or did it break because they were banging on the door too hard? And did the home owner know which it was?
 
It's an unfortunate situation, but I'd likely come down on the side of the home owner from a legal stand point but not necessarily the emotional one. I feel for the kid's family and can understand their anguish. That said, I can't hold someone criminally responsible for defending themselves from someone who has shown themselves to refuse to listen to requests to leave, have already physically damaged the property in an attempt to enter, and was clearly making efforts to access the home. My only concern would be if he fired blindly, as I'm a firm believer of see what you shoot. But if he clearly gave them multiple chances to make their purpose known and to leave his premise before firing, and they continued to try and beat on his door to the point of breaking a window, then this to me is an extremely unfortunate, but justified, shoot.
 
The other side of the coin is if they were drunk, stupid and brazen enough to pound on someones door until they broke it and the homeowner finally shot them how do we know they were not intending to do harm to the person in the home. How do we know they were not trying to break the door and get in to do rob or injure the home owner. When you are drunk and doing stupid things the outcome is usually someone gets hurt or killed.
 
Nope I have three of them...two beside my bed (all loaded). Plus reloads (I got a discount).

And my security system would let me know the second they come anywhere near my place and screaming at them as soon as they entered my premises.

Plus, there are now tasers that can take out three people at once.

Sure, a large, well armed, determined group could take me out. But come on now...the odds of that are ridiculous.

And one thing is virtually certain...no children would be killed by mistake.


I am not going to get into some - 'yeah, but can your tasers do this' nonsense.

For 95+% of intruders I can handle it and the chances of an innocent getting killed is almost nonexistent.

You don't like 'em...whatever.

I do.

There are already governments banning them as well. Tasers can kill as well. I think no one thing works for all people.

I don't know if I would take on multiple young, fast, agile, teenagers, now that I am older and slower with a taser.

I would not shoot through a door but once they break it open I am going to start killing from a distance with a gun.
 
There are already governments banning them as well. Tasers can kill as well. I think no one thing works for all people.

I don't know if I would take on multiple young, fast, agile, teenagers, now that I am older and slower with a taser.

I would not shoot through a door but once they break it open I am going to start killing from a distance with a gun.

Well, that's what you would do and I do something different.


And if they ever ban tasers...tough - 'cold dead hands' thingy.

As I have stated many times, I only follow laws I agree with or that are too much of a hassle not to follow. If I want my tasers - legal or not (one day) - I am keeping my tasers.
 
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The teens (plural) "had been drinking alcohol" and banged on the door until they broke the window.
Translation: A bunch of drunks were pounding on the door. The homeowner didn't know that they were teens, only that his house was under assault. He shot through the door and killed one of them. Now he's facing murder charges.

Remember the kid with the bb gun that looked real? Shot by cops. Just an unarmed teen who looked threatening. Cops aren't charged with murder.
Why should this homeowner be charged with murder?



Because he shot and killed a 15 year old boy who was no threat to him?
 
Let's see, 1 p.m. and three young men, almost old enough to vote, were drunk enough to b e confused about where they were when they were banging on the door.
"Chicopee Police said the teen and two others went to Lovell’s house shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday, thinking it was the home of a friend, and banged on an outside door.

The Hampden County District Attorney’s office said the two had been drinking alcohol in a nearby home, and were apparently confused about where they were."
Police: Boy, 15, Shot By Homeowner After Knocking At Wrong House « CBS Boston

And, the homeowner tried to talk to the three young men.
"The DA’s office said Lovell, armed with a firearm, tried to communicate with the victim and his friend. They said that, after a pane of glass broke, Lovell shot through the door and hit the teen."

Mr. Lovell has been charged with murder and is being held without bail.
 
Because he shot and killed a 15 year old boy who was no threat to him?
I think it is still too early to read the mind of the homeowner.
People perceive threats differently, a group of guys beating on your door, who will not leave when told to.
The pounding continues, until they actually break the glass, I think many reasonable people might
conclude that as the start of a break in.
Since the homeowner had already communicated with the group, they knew someone was home.
Did the homeowner perceive the group as a threat? that is really in his head.
 
Why would he not just not call the police? Unless they actually enter his home I see no reason why he should have shot blindly.
 
It was wrong for the homeowner to start firing through the wall the moment glass broke. Im all for self defense, but what he did wasn't that.
 
Because he shot and killed a 15 year old boy who was no threat to him?

And, how do you know the young man was no threat? I mean you know the three drunk you men were no threat. You know that for a fact. So, how do you know?
 
Why would he not just not call the police? Unless they actually enter his home I see no reason why he should have shot blindly.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-dead-and-the-homeowner-is-accused-of-murder/
Police said they were called to the house at 12:56 p.m. for a report of a breaking and entering, which suggests Lovell might have thought he was being robbed. It is unclear, however, if he was the person to call police.
Someone did call the police.
We still do not know if he shot blindly.
He is likely guilty of something, but murder may be a reach.
 
This is why I do not own a gun but I own a taser.

which will work ok until you are attacked by someone with a gun, a knife or a sword. or someone wearing a heavy jacket.
 
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