An 11-year-old Missouri boy shot and killed a 16-year-old boy during an attempted home invasion Thursday afternoon, St. Louis County police said.
Police said two suspects tried to break into the home north of downtown St. Louis twice before the shooting on Thursday. On the third try, authorities said the unidentified teen went through the home's unlocked front door while the 11-year-old and a 4-year-old girl were home alone. Police said the younger boy shot the teen in the head. The would-be burglar's body was found in the home's front foyer.
The chatter on the internet suggests that the DA is considering prosecuting the mother of the heroic 11 year old for:
- Leaving an 11 year old and a 4 year old unatten
- Leaving a gun where an 11 year old could access it
- Leaving the front door unlocked.
Brachle first put two (.45 caliber) bullets into Grant’s torso at point-blank (spitting distance) range. The detective’s body slumped over in the back seat. Brachle then fired seven more times (all hits) as Grant tried to crawl away.
Here is the amazing thing: Grant, the target of the shooter, survived!!!
That is a testament to the robustness of modern medicine when the victim can receive prompt care.
It is also a cautionary note that even nine solid hits with the "gold standard" of handgun terminal ballistics guarantees nothing.
Scary on the first one, and I can believe the second... Obviously NOT a one shot stop. Shot placement is critical...
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the first story. There are some things that don't quite seem to align. Solid forensic PHYSICAL evidence will either support one narrative or the other. It is time to let the Brigids of the world do their job and make the best possible call that can be supported by evidence.
DeleteWith regard to the second, movies would lead us to believe that the shooter can actually see where the bullets hit. The movies show us slo-mo, they show us back-lit, red mist.
Real life? With clothes and the dim light that predators typically choose, the defender will likely not know if/where he/she hits. We train for MOA accuracy and we pray for MOF (minute of felon) performance.
Quantity has a quality all its own. Being able to send 15 rounds downrange makes up for the inability to see hits and walk the string into the target.
What is remarkable about these stories about young people is that they don;t miss. There is much to be said for a mind unclouded by ambivalence.