Boy shot neo-Nazi father as he slept

[mentalfloss]

The 10-year-old Riverside boy accused in the shooting death of his neo-Nazi activist father gave police a chilling account of how he carried out the early morning attack May 1, officials said in a court document.

The boy -- who told authorities he was tired of his father, Jeffrey R. Hall, beating him and his stepmother -- grabbed the family's Rossi .357 revolver from a closet and then "he went downstairs with the gun, pulled the hammer back, aimed the gun at his dad’s ear while he was asleep and shot him," Riverside Police Det. Greg Rowe wrote in a court declaration filed Tuesday. The boy "then went upstairs and hid the gun under his bed," Rowe wrote.

The declaration was filed to support allegations against the boy's stepmother, Krista F. McCary, 26, who was charged Tuesday with child endangerment and failure to properly store a firearm.

McCary told detectives that her stepson "knew how to shoot guns" and that her husband took the 10-year-old target shooting while the two were patrolling the Mexican border with the National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi group, according to the declaration. Hall was the leader of the group in the western United States.

Along with recovering the handgun used in the shooting, police reported that they found an unloaded .22-caliber rifle in the Hall home's garage, 10 feet away from an unlocked ammunition cabinet. They also said they found several "edged weapons" in the master bedroom, according to the court document.

The boy's 9-year-old sister told police that she knew where her parents kept all of their guns and that she had been target shooting with her mom and dad, but was told not to touch the gun, the court document stated.

A juvenile court judge on Wednesday ordered the boy to undergo a mental health evaluation.


Boy shot neo-Nazi father as he slept, hid gun, officials say | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

 

[Colpy]

The 10-year-old Riverside boy accused in the shooting death of his neo-Nazi activist father gave police a chilling account of how he carried out the early morning attack May 1, officials said in a court document.

The boy -- who told authorities he was tired of his father, Jeffrey R. Hall, beating him and his stepmother -- grabbed the family's Rossi .357 revolver from a closet and then "he went downstairs with the gun, pulled the hammer back, aimed the gun at his dad’s ear while he was asleep and shot him," Riverside Police Det. Greg Rowe wrote in a court declaration filed Tuesday. The boy "then went upstairs and hid the gun under his bed," Rowe wrote.

The declaration was filed to support allegations against the boy's stepmother, Krista F. McCary, 26, who was charged Tuesday with child endangerment and failure to properly store a firearm.

McCary told detectives that her stepson "knew how to shoot guns" and that her husband took the 10-year-old target shooting while the two were patrolling the Mexican border with the National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi group, according to the declaration. Hall was the leader of the group in the western United States.

Along with recovering the handgun used in the shooting, police reported that they found an unloaded .22-caliber rifle in the Hall home's garage, 10 feet away from an unlocked ammunition cabinet. They also said they found several "edged weapons" in the master bedroom, according to the court document.

The boy's 9-year-old sister told police that she knew where her parents kept all of their guns and that she had been target shooting with her mom and dad, but was told not to touch the gun, the court document stated.

A juvenile court judge on Wednesday ordered the boy to undergo a mental health evaluation.


Boy shot neo-Nazi father as he slept, hid gun, officials say | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Give the kid a freaking medal.

 

[Machjo]

Ten years old? I don't blame the kid. Sure check for his mental health and all, but he could end up perfectly normal in future. A ten year old killing someone is still developing, no guarantee he'll kill again.

 

[karrie]

If it was a dog that bit an abusive owner, it would be plastered all over the internet and a hundred families would want to take it in and care for it and heal it from its abuse.

But, it's a child and a gun, so, society will probably not be nearly as forgiving.

 

[Machjo]

If it was a dog that bit an abusive owner, it would be plastered all over the internet and a hundred families would want to take it in and care for it and heal it from its abuse.

But, it's a child and a gun, so, society will probably not be nearly as forgiving.

Few would blame a ten-year-old. Now if he were fifteen or so, that might be a different story, then we'd most certainly have expected him to have reported his father to the authorities. But I think it unreasonable to expect a ten year old to know whom to turn to for help. Sure some might have known, but most ten year olds still possess limited knowledge of whom to turn to against an abusive parent.

 

[Colpy]

If it was a dog that bit an abusive owner, it would be plastered all over the internet and a hundred families would want to take it in and care for it and heal it from its abuse.

But, it's a child and a gun, so, society will probably not be nearly as forgiving.

Absolutely.........

When it come to people trapped in abusive relationships, I do believe the laws on self-defense should be stretched as far as possible......and this was a 10 year old kid. Talk about trapped!

This kid is going to need some help........

 

[Machjo]

Absolutely.........

When it come to people trapped in abusive relationships, I do believe the laws on self-defense should be stretched as far as possible......and this was a 10 year old kid. Talk about trapped!

This kid is going to need some help........

I would still place a limit on this. While we can debate a reasonable age, I'd say past a certain age, say 15 or so, then I would certainly have held him to account, figuring by then he would have been old enough to think more critically, have been more exposed to an education system that most certainly would have introduced him by then to the idea of human rights, police and other services that could help, and even turning to teachers for help.

But yes, for a 10 year old, I can definitely make an exception no problem.

 

[karrie]

I have little to no faith in the 'system' to adequately protect an abuse victim once you've reported the abuse. All too often what they do is walk in, poke around, make it clear that someone blabbed, and then wait for something to 'prove' it. They all too often leave the abuser with opportunity.

 

[Machjo]

I'm sure there must be an opportunity to request protective custody.

 

[TenPenny]

I don't think he needs protective custody now.

Obviously, he did need it in the past. But he found his own solution.

 

[Machjo]

I don't think he needs protective custody now.

Obviously, he did need it in the past. But he found his own solution.

Indeed he did.

 

[Angstrom]

Even at 15 years old. these parents where clearly showing there kids how to use fire arms to deal with there problems.
I think the father is responsible for his own death or at least has a good share of the responsibility. Failure to lock up.

 

[PoliticalNick]

I would still place a limit on this. While we can debate a reasonable age, I'd say past a certain age, say 15 or so, then I would certainly have held him to account, figuring by then he would have been old enough to think more critically, have been more exposed to an education system that most certainly would have introduced him by then to the idea of human rights, police and other services that could help, and even turning to teachers for help.

But yes, for a 10 year old, I can definitely make an exception no problem.

I don't know where you are from but my boys got the lecture in school in grade 2,3,4 and 5 about how to report abuse and who to tell etc. However if the kids mom wasn't doing anything but enabling the abuser it really wouldn't matter what he was taught elsewhere because the family would make all the excuses and feed him crap about the consequences. I have some issues with applauding him for this but I can understand him feeling trapped with no other solution.

My biggest beef with this story is actually over the storage of the guns. I am a huge supporter of teaching kids about guns a gun safety very early but I am also not a supporter of all the storage requirements we have imposed on us. What's the point of owning a handgun for protecting your home and family if you have to unlock the box, unlock the trigger and then go to a different room to unlock the ammo and load?

 

[Machjo]

Of course they get the lectures. But at the age of ten, their parents still play such a major part in their lives it's easy to understand that they might still not fully accept the other options.

I'm not condoning what the ten yer old did nor am I applauding it. I'm merely accepting it on the grounds that it's easy to understand why a ten-year old would feel he has no other alternative. It's only at about the age of thirteen or fourteen, or to be generous let's say fifteen since some might mature a little more slowly than others, that we can expect them to be truly aware of their options, be able to control their emotions at least enough to be able t analyse the options before them, and take more appropriate action. We could not with certainly expect that kind of maturity from a 10-year old and that's why I can accept it. Again, not condone it or applaud it, but merely be able to understand and thus accept that he cannot be held responsible for such an action at the age of ten.

 

[Taxx]

My biggest beef with this story is actually over the storage of the guns. I am a huge supporter of teaching kids about guns a gun safety very early but I am also not a supporter of all the storage requirements we have imposed on us. What's the point of owning a handgun for protecting your home and family if you have to unlock the box, unlock the trigger and then go to a different room to unlock the ammo and load?

I would always keep my gun loaded and hidden but not hidden in such a place that's hard to get to, just hard for someone to find.

Its silly to actually go though the proper procedure, because by the time you unlock 3 locks and load your gun, your house has been robbed, you are likely dead and your wife is being raped.

 

[TenPenny]

Its silly to actually go though the proper procedure, because by the time you unlock 3 locks and load your gun, your house has been robbed, you are likely dead and your wife is being raped.

I think the point is that, if your wife is pissed off at you, it gives you a chance to run away before she kills you. Or it forces you to take longer before you get the gun out to kill her. That's the point.

Honestly, is it that common for a stranger to break into houses and rape the wives, that you need to keep loaded weapons close at hand? I don't know the statistics, can you fill me in?

 

[Taxx]

I think the point is that, if your wife is pissed off at you, it gives you a chance to run away before she kills you. Or it forces you to take longer before you get the gun out to kill her. That's the point.

Honestly, is it that common for a stranger to break into houses and rape the wives, that you need to keep loaded weapons close at hand? I don't know the statistics, can you fill me in?

Is it common? I don't know. I threw in some hyperbole. But what I do know is that keeping your gun and ammo in separate locations defeats the purpose of owning one for protection. Imagine a cop needed to keep his gun on him and his ammo in the backseat under lock and key, or worse in the trunk. Or worse still back at the station.

 

[gopher]

Right wingers should be celebrating as this proves their point all along!

 

[Machjo]

Right wingers should be celebrating as this proves their point all along!

What point? Self-defense? Maybe. Bear in mind though that regardless what kind of abuse the child may have received (for all we know we're talking about common tough love), the child will likely be affected by this for awhile.

 

[JLM]

A juvenile court judge on Wednesday ordered the boy to undergo a mental health evaluation.[/B]


Boy shot neo-Nazi father as he slept, hid gun, officials say | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Maybe the S.O.B. needed shooting!