[kellyhound]

A 12-year-old boy was found guilty of reckless homicide - but not murder - after he shot his 6-year-old brother.

An Indiana judge ruled that the pre-teen didn't mean to kill his little brother, but certainly knew better than to pull the trigger of the gun.

"This child definitely needs some long-term help," Morgan County Chief Deputy prosecutor Bob Cline told.

The boy was not identified because he is a juvenile.

But the judge ruled that because of the shooter's experience with hunting, he should have had more knowledge that the 22-caliber rifle could kill, according to the report.

He faces detention until he's 18 and could remain on probation until he's 21, under maximum sentencing laws.

But a judge could also decide to give him probation and order him to go through special programs such as counseling.

During the two-day trial, the boy admitted he shot his younger brother over an argument about chores.

'I said 'clean up your room'. He said 'no,'" the boy testified.

He then shot his brother and returned the gun to his mother's bedroom before calling police and telling them that his little brother had shot himself.



He eventually admitted to pulling the trigger after an autopsy revealed the shot had been fired by someone else.

The boy's family praised the judge for the ruling.

"He's going to have to live with this every single day about what did happen that day, so getting him help and getting him on the road to recovery as a strong citizen is wonderful," the boy's aunt, Karri Vandagrifft, told.

The boy's mother, Amanda Vandagrifft and her boyfriend Matthew Boulden face felony neglect charges for leaving the gun where the boy could access it.

[Faline]

Because he said "no" to cleaning up his room, he shot him

[Flaka]

[_PeeBee]

Wow.

[jv83]

Maybe in the next life the fucker will do the chores for him

[Wolf]

Starting to loose more faith in the human race...

[shoottokill]

these scenarios are questionable to say the least. a lot of boys are put away, many times being sentenced as an adult for shooting someone, whether with intent or by accident. The system is fucked up totally to begin with. This sentence is not bad actually. It could have been much worse for him.

[Sharon]

Originally Posted by Kelly ↗

Because he said "no" to cleaning up his room, he shot him

I know!!!! That is deeply disturbing and makes me worry how he will grow up

[thissiteisfuckedup]

this is so sad, another life taken.

[johnleeknoefler]

Originally Posted by Sharon. ↗

I know!!!! That is deeply disturbing and makes me worry how he will grow up

Are you serious? He killed his little brother for not cleaning up his room And you worry about how he will grow up?
My older brother tried to kill me when I was 4 years old. I remember it clearly and will NEVER forget the terror I felt for the rest of my life. He tried to sufficate me. The reason I lived was because he got tired of fighting me and asked my sister to take over. She deliberately let air under her hand so I could slowly breathe and then I pretended to "die".
I lived and so nothing happened to my brother after he gave up his effort. That bastard grew up to molest almost every other child in our large family of relatives. Even into his teens he was doing horrid things to other kids. And ALWAYS he got away with it because no one would believe he would do such things. He was soooo nice. So this little murderer deserves no sympathy or "rehabilitation". He did it deliberately.