Looks like stupid teen pranksters need to be careful because nowadays more home-owners are shooting first and calling the police later when people are on their property...


Over in Michigan at 1 in the morning a man was awoken by people running around his front yard and laughing. He grabbed his shotgun and ran outside, he fired a warning shot in the air and as the teen pranksters were fleeing he aimed and fired twice.

He shot a 14 year old in the chest and leg, thankfully nobody died. Prosecutors are now aiming to go after this man.

Did this man do the right thing here?
http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ssf/2008/10/kent_county_prosecutor_william.html

Ok let's use our brains for a minute... toilet paper vs gun... hummmmm yeah seems fair. :rolleyes: This is sick. If anything shoot up into the air. Killing someone over toilet papering your house? That's insane! He should definately be charged. The teens should also be punished, althought it seems like they got that punishment already. :eek:

Well, as somebody who used to "roll" people's houses when I was in high school, I think he went a little too far. He shot once on the air, and that should've been it. They were already fleeing when he shot once. He didn't have to keep shooting.

As for the kids, they were stupid for rolling a total stranger's house!! At least when we rolled houses, it was people we knew!!

Well, as somebody who used to "roll" people's houses when I was in high school, I think he went a little too far. He shot once on the air, and that should've been it. They were already fleeing when he shot once. He didn't have to keep shooting.

As for the kids, they were stupid for rolling a total stranger's house!! At least when we rolled houses, it was people we knew!!
I agree 100%.

Well, as somebody who used to "roll" people's houses when I was in high school, I think he went a little too far. He shot once on the air, and that should've been it. They were already fleeing when he shot once. He didn't have to keep shooting.

As for the kids, they were stupid for rolling a total stranger's house!! At least when we rolled houses, it was people we knew!!

I am not trying to sound rude but if you read the attached article, the home-owners son was among the crew. The son and his friends were papering the house not knowing the dad was home, and the dad came out shooting. http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ssf/2008/10/alleged_shooter_of_pranksters.html

Unfortunatly, nowadays you just don't know who you are going to come up against when you do stuff like this.

I'm not defending the shooter, people can defend themselves without using deadly force. I would think a shot fired in the air would have been enough to send those kids fleeing.

It's just too damn risky to try something like this kids, even if it's all in fun.

^ In this day and age - it's just too dangerous to do that kind of stuff. Same thing goes for crank calls. Times have changed.

I am not trying to sound rude but if you read the attached article, the home-owners son was among the crew. The son and his friends were papering the house not knowing the dad was home, and the dad came out shooting. http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ssf/2008/10/alleged_shooter_of_pranksters.html

Oh, sorry, James, I did read the article AFTER I posted. I've got a bad habit of "jumping the gun".;)

^ In this day and age - it's just too dangerous to do that kind of stuff. Same thing goes for crank calls. Times have changed.



Ahhh the good old days....."Is your refridgerator running?" "Yes..." "Well you better go catch it!!"

So true - the days of harmless pranks are over with unfortunately.

Ahhh the good old days....."Is your refridgerator running?" "Yes..." "Well you better go catch it!!"

So true - the days of harmless pranks are over with unfortunately.
You forgot about Prince Albert in a can. "Let him out!!" :rofl:

Sad but true - those days are gone forever.

Don't bring toilet paper to a gun fight.

You forgot about Prince Albert in a can. "Let him out!!" :rofl:

Sad but true - those days are gone forever.


Actually I guess you could still do the phone pranks since you can use *67 to block your number, but it still isn't the same game.

I used to pull pranks on car mechanics all the time.

You sure can't do the flaming bag 'o poo stunt these days - with motion sensor lighting and all. Boo team! If a guy will shoot at just toilet papering, imagine what he'd do at flaming poo!

In the man's defense, he didn't know they were kids who were just toilet papering his property. He didn't see any toilet paper until after he fired.

He heard noises, saw a car that he didn't recognize near his garage, and saw a group of people. The man was justified in opening fire. It doesn't matter if they are fleeing, you don't know their intentions and they were on his property.

I hope acquittal of all charges.

I agree with JamesG. The man was only trying to defend his property, which is something we all have a right to do in this country.

Actually I guess you could still do the phone pranks since you can use *67 to block your number, but it still isn't the same game.

I used to pull pranks on car mechanics all the time.

You sure can't do the flaming bag 'o poo stunt these days - with motion sensor lighting and all. Boo team! If a guy will shoot at just toilet papering, imagine what he'd do at flaming poo!
I don't want to know!! :eek: :rofl:

god, i hate teenagers. i'm glad the guy at least did something about it, though i think shooting them was too far.

My brother used to TP houses when we were younger...it was only TP for God's sake!!

What I want to know is when did people start taking everything so seriously? Nobody can have any fun anymore - what a sad world.

My brother used to TP houses when we were younger...it was only TP for God's sake!!

What I want to know is when did people start taking everything so seriously? Nobody can have any fun anymore - what a sad world.


I'm all about kids having fun, but not at the expense of others and when it involves vandalizing one's property. It might have been harmless fun, but not to the man who was awoken to sounds of people running around at 1 in the morning.

I'd also like to know what 22 year olds hang out with 14 year olds TP'ing houses?

The man mentioned that had he known they were kids ( and especially that his son was part of "the gang") he would have never fired but at the time he felt there was a threat.

I don't think he would have intentionally fired at kids had he known that's who had been there, I think he probably heard noises and got nervous, and did the first thing he could think of in case they were a potential threat.

Either way, kids who can't find a better way to spend their time besides vandalizing people's property deserve SOMETHING but I don't think being shot is quite it.

In the man's defense, he didn't know they were kids who were just toilet papering his property. He didn't see any toilet paper until after he fired. He heard noises, saw a car that he didn't recognize near his garage, and saw a group of people. The man was justified in opening fire.

Maybe in firing a warning shot, but not in actually firing at the teenagers.

Suppose that kid had not made it? Suppose he had died?

I am afraid I have to disagree with you, James.

I am not trying to sound rude but if you read the attached article, the home-owners son was among the crew. The son and his friends were papering the house not knowing the dad was home, and the dad came out shooting. http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ssf/2008/10/alleged_shooter_of_pranksters.html
You must have misread the article. It never said the son was there. It said that at least one of the group was friends with the son.

That is crazy, shooting a gun "at" people who are toilet papering houses! If they really wanted to get serious, a call to 911 would have been in order (IF they felt that they were in danger). However, guns should only be used in self-defense if you are going to use them at all. The kids didn't sound like they were trying to injure the owner; they were just pulling a prank that's been around for years and years. But shooting a gun is extremely serious business and I'm glad that I'm not reading that anyone was killed or injured in this event.

Andrea

That is crazy, shooting a gun "at" people who are toilet papering houses! If they really wanted to get serious, a call to 911 would have been in order (IF they felt that they were in danger). However, guns should only be used in self-defense if you are going to use them at all. The kids didn't sound like they were trying to injure the owner; they were just pulling a prank that's been around for years and years. But shooting a gun is extremely serious business and I'm glad that I'm not reading that anyone was killed or injured in this event.

Andrea

Actually, one teenage boy was shot in the leg and the chest, but he was not
killed.

Looks like stupid teen pranksters need to be careful because nowadays more home-owners are shooting first and calling the police later when people are on their property...


Over in Michigan at 1 in the morning a man was awoken by people running around his front yard and laughing. He grabbed his shotgun and ran outside, he fired a warning shot in the air and as the teen pranksters were fleeing he aimed and fired twice.

He shot a 14 year old in the chest and leg, thankfully nobody died. Prosecutors are now aiming to go after this man.

Did this man do the right thing here?


Well, you have already stated your opinion, so what difference does it make
what the rest of of us think?

god, i hate teenagers. i'm glad the guy at least did something about it, though i think shooting them was too far.

And yet you were a teenager once. I would think you would have a little bit
more understanding toward them. Not all teenagers out there are bad kids.

He should have simply called the police.

That is crazy, shooting a gun "at" people who are toilet papering houses! If they really wanted to get serious, a call to 911 would have been in order (IF they felt that they were in danger). However, guns should only be used in self-defense if you are going to use them at all. The kids didn't sound like they were trying to injure the owner; they were just pulling a prank that's been around for years and years. But shooting a gun is extremely serious business and I'm glad that I'm not reading that anyone was killed or injured in this event.

Andrea
I agree. I'm all for self defense, but don't start shooting at people until you know you're really in danger. My God.

Totally irrational. The teens were stupid for doing it in the first place, but shooting at them and applying bodily injury to one of them is probably worse.

He got a year probation and has to pay $350 in court cost and pay medical costs and repair bills for the car.