CINCINNATI (AP) — No charges will be filed against a man who fatally shot his 14-year-old son after mistaking him for an intruder.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters said Wednesday that the man, 72, won’t be charged in the Tuesday morning shooting in the basement of the Cincinnati-area home. The man had watched his son, Georta Mack, walk to the school bus and the boy later called his father to say he was on the bus, Deters said in his statement.
The man later heard a noise in the basement and got his .45 caliber handgun before investigating, according to the prosecutor. The father told authorities that when he opened a closet door, Georta jumped out and yelled, “Boo!”
The startled man, whose name wasn’t released, fired a shot that hit the boy in the neck. “He scared me!” the distraught father said in his 911 call. “I thought he was in school. I heard noise, so I went downstairs looking and he jumped out at me. …. Oh, God. Get here quick!”
Police said the teen had headed to the bus stop but apparently decided he wasn’t going to school and came back home through a back door. Deters said all the forensic evidence matched the father’s account of what happened and no charges were appropriate.
“There is only one word for this — tragedy,” Deters said. “It is impossible to imagine how horrible this father must feel for mistaking his son for an intruder.”
Boy, it is tragic. I would like to say I wouldn’t have pulled the trigger in that scenario but no guarantees. Someone bursting out of my closet might get more than he bargained for as well.
I would have shot without hesitation, Millard… The kid was not supposed to be inside the home, and even called to verify he was on a bus to school. If it was some meth-head psycho with a machete, the guy might not have had any other chance to defend himself.
Tragic, yes. Sad, yes. Regrettable, no.
The kid was deceptive, and it led directly to his demise. I feel for the father…. May God minister to his pain.
“meth-head psycho with a machete”. Yes, I’ve had the mis-pleasure of witnessing that. Yeah, crazy shit back in the day. I’m still shakin’ my head. I never figured I’d be around this long.
Yep, I agree
and had this talk with my kid..
be where you say you are at , do what you say your going to do.. dont lie to mom and dad about your where abouts ..it could save your life one day
dont climb in and out of windows etc..
If the kid had to call from the bus to prove he was on the bus, he most likely was trouble. Some kids are stupid, some are trouble and some are sociopaths. The latter two categories are self destructive no matter how much the parent tries.