News on Hiker mistaken for bear

[Airnip]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31860742/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts

Be sure of target and background before putting finger in trigger guard.

[bearpaw]

We heard that on the radio. They had to punish him and the sentence seemed reasonable considering it was truly an accident. It should have never happened, if he would have waited to properly identify his target it wouldn't have happened. It's just too bad that it happened because not only did he ruin the other families life, he has had a serious effect on his own life and his family.

They say he was ordered to attend hunter education. Doesn't the law state that he will lose his hunting privelages until reinstated by the commission???

[billythekidrock]

Not enough time if you ask me.

[buckhorn2]

A better sentence would have been for him to help teach hunter ed. and to be able to show why it;s important and what can happen if you don;t identify what your shooting at.

[rainshadow1]

I genuinely believe it was an honest accident and I feel for the kid...

That being said, I thought the sentence was very, very soft. Should have been quite a bit more time, and WAY more community service. Guest star at hunter education classes to teach what? That you can get off easy for being an idiot and killing someone?!?!

The kid made the biggest mistake of his and someone else' life... that should have far more serious reprocussions.

[bearpaw]

I would agree that more community service would not have hurt at all.

If the kid had any intent I would also agree with more juvenile time. However, I think we need to remember he did not have intent and the longer you keep him incarcerated with youth criminals the greater risk of turning him into a criminal.

Myself I would agree to giving him less jail time and far more community service. He will be thinking about how he messed up while working for the community. If you want to punish him more, do it in a manner that benefits the community and with less risk of turning him into another real criminal. 

[TeacherMan]

I have to say that is the lightest sentence I have ever seen. I think the boy could use way more community service time, but you are correct if you put him around other criminals he will just become one.

[Kain]

House arrest and WAAAY more community service.  He did kill someone but I dont think he is a threat to the public so jail is not the right place for him.  Just a sad deal all around. 

[billythekidrock]

House arrest and WAAAY more community service.  He did kill someone but I dont think he is a threat to the public so jail is not the right place for him.  Just a sad deal all around. 

I agree 100%.

[clindsayrun]

Honest accident... I don't think so. This doesn't even come close to meeting the criteria as an accident. He deliberately aimed at her and pulled the trigger.

Let’s not make any excuses. This was negligence and stupidity, brought on by excitement and overzealousness. These kids should have been better supervised by their father or another adult. It's one thing to allow a 14 year old to go walk a ditch or a fence line and jump shoot some ducks or pheasants alone. And entirely another to send him into the woods with a high-powered rifle in an area frequented by people. 

This kid got off so light it makes a mockery of our judicial system. He's not even on probation until he's 18. Maybe he's a good kid, but he KILLED someone for Gods sake!

Though I feel sorry for both families this NEVER should have happened in the first place. 

[batch]

honestly how do you mistake someone for a bear 

[ICEMAN]

Honest accident... I don't think so. This doesn't even come close to meeting the criteria as an accident. He deliberately aimed at her and pulled the trigger.

Let’s not make any excuses. This was negligence and stupidity, brought on by excitement and overzealousness. These kids should have been better supervised by their father or another adult. It's one thing to allow a 14 year old to go walk a ditch or a fence line and jump shoot some ducks or pheasants alone. And entirely another to send him into the woods with a high-powered rifle in an area frequented by people. 

This kid got off so light it makes a mockery of our judicial system. He's not even on probation until he's 18. Maybe he's a good kid, but he KILLED someone for Gods sake!

Though I feel sorry for both families this NEVER should have happened in the first place. 

I totally agree with you clindsayrun.

[Ray]

Too light a sentence if you ask me.

[bearpaw]

I hear what you guys are saying, but I'm still glad they didn't put him in for a long time, I think there would just be a greater liklihood of creating a real criminal. As mentioned I think it would be much better to have given him a lot more public service. Something positive comes out of the public service, and if he had to work at public service for a few years it would still be a significant punishment.

[Ray]

My kid cousin stole a skateboard directly from another kid and got a tougher sentence than that.

12 months in a kids home. 30 days in county children's facility. First offense of any kind.