Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Ryan E. Alekman, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Violence comes in many forms in today’s world. Children are affected by violence very day. Some suffer physical personal injuries from assaults, battery, sexual molestation, shootings, fights, and bullying. Others suffer psychological injuries or mental pain and suffering from acts of violence. Some children suffer both physical and psychological injuries from acts of violence whether the children are the actual victims or targets of the violence or just witness the violence.
BB guns are weapons that can lead to serious personal injuries and wrongful death. BB guns and toy guns are especially dangerous when others believe that BB guns are high powered fire arms. Parents should keep in mind that a weapon is a weapon. This advice applies to BB guns. Parents and caregivers should supervise their children any time that children use a BB gun.
In New Hampshire, two high school students were arrested for bringing a toy gun to school. Another student had noticed the gun on the hallway floor and notified school officials. In the abundance of caution, school authorities contacted law enforcement who then went to the school to investigate. Police found the plastic toy gun with an orange tip in a locker. In response to the situation, the school was put on lockdown. Parents were notified via text message and other means and also went to the school.
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, school officials and law enforcement may have help avoid a disaster in the form of a school shooting by taking action to arrest a 13 year old and remove an assault rifle from school grounds. At the Southeast Middle School on Harrells Ferry in Louisiana, a 13 year old brought a military style Ruger mini 14 assault rifle to school and place the rifle along with high powered rounds of ammunition in his locker. Other students informed school officials that the weapon was inside the student’s locker. Telling school officials about a dangerous weapon was wise and brave of these students who, in turn, may have helped save the lives of fellow students and teachers. Within five minutes of receiving the information, school officials contacted the resource police officer and located the gun.
In King City, California, an 11 year old girl (Ester Rubio) recently died. She had been shot several times at a soccer match at King City High School. She was shot in the stomach. Ester received medical care at Stanford Medical Center and at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California. Three juvenile criminal defendants were arrested in the shooting.
Children love playing pretend with toy guns. Unfortunately, a simple toy gun can be mistaken for a weapon which, in turn, can lead to dangerous and deadly consequences. In Palmdale, California, a deputy sheriff shot a 15 year old who was playing with a toy gun. Apparently, the child was playing “cops and robbers” and pointed the gun at a deputy sheriff / police officer. Since the toy resembled a real gun, the deputy responded by shooting the teenager.
A Christian County (Hopkinsville) Kentucky middle school student was arrested for bringing a gun to school. The boy, age 13, brought the gun to school and showed it to other students. It was a .45 caliber handgun with ammunition. While the weapon was not fired and it does not appear that the student intended on using the gun, the presence of the gun in the middle school did create a danger to the students and teachers. The gun could have accidentally been fired. Another student could have grabbed the gun and discharged it. The gun could have been used to threaten others. The combination of the gun with teenagers in a school system was a dangerous. Fortunately, nobody was injured or threatened with the gun.
The parents of a teenage girl filed a wrongful death lawsuit following the death of their 18 year old daughter. The girl was shot and killed by Huntington Beach police officers when they responded to a 911 call about a woman walking with a knife in a park. The girl had been partying the previous night and after getting into a fight with her mother, who she attacked with a knife and cut, left the house with the knife. The teenager was later seen at the park with the knife. When told by police to give up the knife, the girl refused and told that police that she was on drugs and to kill her. The girl began running toward the police with the knife and was shot 15 times by policy when she came within eight feet of the officers.
Going to the movie theater during the holiday break can be deadly. James Joseph Cialella, 29, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania became upset over noisy movie goers and decided to open fire in the movie theater. Police were called to the theater and arrested Cialella who was carrying a .380 caliber handgun in his pants.