The 9-year-old boy who took a handgun to school that accidentally discharged, seriously injuring a third grade classmate, told a Washington court, "I'm sorry," after pleading guilty to three criminal charges, the Seattle Times reports.
The third-grader, who attended the Armin Jahr Elementary School in Bremerton, pleaded guilty to possession of a gun, bringing a dangerous weapon to school, and reckless endangerment.
The paper reports that under a plea agreement, the boy will be required to complete 48 hours of community service, before serving 12 months of probation.
On Feb. 22, the child carried a .45 caliber handgun to school in his backpack, according to police, the Associated Press reports.
The gun accidentally fired after the boy slammed the backpack down. Amina Kocer-Bowman, an 8-year-old classmate, was shot. She remains in serious condition after five surgeries, and is now on a ventilator to help her breathe, according to HeraldNet.
The boy is now expected to testify against his mother, Jamie Lee Passmore, and her boyfriend, Douglas Bauer, who are accused of allowing him access to the gun, according to King5.com.
The boy and his siblings live with an uncle along with their father.
John Bowman, the girl's father, disagreed with the plea deal, telling the news station that the boy should have known bringing a gun to school was wrong.
"It's unfortunate but we can't make excuses for this circumstances, for his actions," Bowman told King5. "That's totally unacceptable."
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The 9-year-old boy who took a handgun to school that accidentally discharged, seriously injuring a third grade classmate, told a Washington court, "I'm sorry," after pleading guilty to three criminal ...
The 9-year-old boy who took a handgun to school that accidentally discharged, seriously injuring a third grade classmate, told a Washington court, "I'm sorry," after pleading guilty to three criminal ...
If they can send a homeless Mother to prison for 25yrs for sending her child to the wrong district school, they can damn sure punish these adults for allowing this child access to a loaded weapon!!! And this child should most certainly have known that his actions were wrong and a harsher punishment should reflect that, smh...
pachonette: If they can send a homeless Mother to prison for
Is The NRA culpable for making our country a gun-crazed society? They should pay the medical bills for that 8-year-girl who was accidentally shot. The maker of that 45 that can easily be discharged by simply being slammed in a gym bag should also defray her medical expenses.
The nine-year-old boy should live with s foster family that has no criminal record until he’s eighteen and have regular supervised visits with his parents and siblings.
The boy’s community service should consist of picketing NRA sponsored gun shows that allow people to but unlimited firearms with minimal background checks.
tompul_onepayeradvocate: Is The NRA culpable for making our country a gun-crazed
Everything you say is right on Tompul....except that the 9 year old boy should NOT be expected to do "community service". He simply did nothing wrong....other be a curious kid about his mother's gun. His MOTHER is the gun crazed idiot that needs to be punished for having such a weapon within reach of a child. This innocent kid never used the gun, very unlikely ever would have....he probably had no idea it was even loaded. Why don't we have the following held responsible 1. Our insane politicians that extol "virtue" over killing people in USA's horrific sinful wars, never mind put peoples innocent daughters and no less horrendous sons in harms way for war/weapons profit and greed 2. Toy manufacturers that market toy guns to kids, and target boys even though guns are no more appropriate a toy for boys than girls 3. The NRA for making our country a gun crazed society, the wild wild west 4. The makers of the .45 the mother made available to a young child....make these people do "community service" or better yet, prison time for their heinous crimes. And no, this child should not be put into a foster home....where the "guidance" can potentially be even more insane
childfirst: Everything you say is right on Tompul....except that the 9
There are lots of different things that can count as community service, and quite a lot of them are perfectly appropriate for a nine-year-old, such as running errands for the elderly, planting trees, cleaning out trash bins or litter at a public park,
PirateJohn: There are lots of different things that can count as
Schools and external society can only do so much. Then the child returns home where any of the following is standard and OK; criminal activity, racism, hate, drugs, guns, etc.
This child's mentality towards guns probably equals my child's mentality towards a football. Until now and the rest of his and his classmates' lives.
Mother should be held accountable.
Shellylyn: Schools and external society can only do so much. Then
Gun laws, gun safety, Second Amendment, Right to Bear Arms, Right to Arm Bears, bla, bla, bla. What a bunch of crap. If the Founding Fathers could have seen what future implications of the Second Amendment would have been, they probably wouldn’t have included it. The NRA has perverted it way beyond its original intent. We're more concerned about toy safety than gun safety. Kids are shooting each other with easily-acquired hand guns, and One Million Moms is boycotting Toys R Us over a gay comic book? You need to have a guard on a radial saw, but no gun lock? Kids in other civilized countries take drugs and are influenced by negative things too, but none of them find daddy’s unlocked, loaded gun in the house and take it to school and shoot their classmates. Something is very wrong here. I live and work in Europe and, as an American, I get asked why Americans have such an obsession with guns. More pointedly, they often ask, "What are Americans so afraid of?" I used to try to explain about our history, the Second Amendment, tradition, etc., but usually got blank stares. Now, I just point to my head with my index finger and do circles. Everyone understands the universal sign for insanity.
Jack_Knowlton: Gun laws, gun safety, Second Amendment, Right to Bear Arms,
Jack, I am an American born and raised in USA.....and not the least bit offended by the remarks you bring up of what Europeans say. It is true, American's are obsessed with violence, war, guns...for no compelling reason other than being insane, brainwashed into thinking other nations are "jealous" of America so they "attacked us" on 9/11 (yeah right, I'd like to sell those naive folks some swamp land in Florida!). even if 9/11 was an outside job, there are proven studies that show the inside plotting to fuel more angry masses into unnecessary war for profit into corrupt domains. We extol "virtue" over these horrific wars, spend more than half the world combined on weapons and killing people, the USA ranks #82 in global peace and behind 9 nations in freedoms DUE to this aggressive foreign policy....then we turn around and wonder like idiots why innocent kids might think it cool to grab mommy's gun and bring it to school? This boy is innocent, should not be questioned or put under pressure....take his Mother who likely owned the gun with or boyfriend into court, not a child! Children do not inherently misbehave...ADULTS do. Children mirror adults behavior. If this kid had parents that keep a gun in their home, what type of role model are they? THINK people!
childfirst: Jack, I am an American born and raised in USA.....and
I was ready to lay the blame on parents, then I read the father's excuse and I don't think a mother in her right mind would let her child near a gun. I mention this because I notice how many people are always ready to lay the blame but ever so hesitant to accept it.
cdhj12000: I was ready to lay the blame on parents, then
It still terrifies me that I am reading about a THIRD grader. Im pretty sure we were playing with ninja turtles and watching Saturday morning cartoons at that age. Make me so sad...the parents are totally to blame here. 100% he is NINE years old!
wolverine_mags: It still terrifies me that I am reading about a
YES wolverine mags! You are so right......the parents are 100% to blame....no 9 year old child can NOT be blamed for this. And people are forgetting that the girl that was shot, as sad as this ACCIDENT was, her life is not once ounce any more important than the boys....no girl/women's life is any more important than any boy/mans....that attitude is even worse than racial profiling. We have to much nation profiling (The American Supremacist notion that USA somehow commissioned by God to drop bombs all over the world and its ok, because we are "protecting freedom and security" (you've GOT to be insane to believe that one) but God forbid if anyone touches its soil), gender profiling (the false notion boys/men more physically emotionally right for our horrific wars---WRONG!) racial profiling.....hmmm...if you are a black boy with hoody you are "suspect"....or if you are a Muslim a "terrorist" when the Holy Bible contains twice the text of terrorism, bloodshed and murder than the Islamic Koran. Let's all chill, take a pill, guns should NOT be in the household....and stop blaming an innocent little boy for having paranoid parents that would have a gun in the household to begin with.
childfirst: YES wolverine mags! You are so right......the parents are 100%
I definitely think the adults who allowed him access to a loaded gun should serve jail time for reckless endangerment (at the very least) or negligent homicide if this poor girl succumbs to her injuries.
While I don't think the boy should be locked up until he's 18, I do think three or so months in some kind of residential facility would make more of an impression on him than having to do a mere 48 hours of community service. Yes, he's 9 -- but I was 9 once, and I knew damn well guns could kill people at that age. To say this boy didn't know he wasn't supposed to have a gun on campus is ridiculous. Even with his apparently turbulent home life and useless parents, that's something pretty much everyone knows from about 5 years old.
Again, I don't think he should be sent away for several years, and I do think his mother and her boyfriend should receive far harsher punishments... but I also think this boy got a slap on the wrist, which will probably not leave a lasting impression on him.
Natalie_Worlow: I definitely think the adults who allowed him access to
Natalie, you are heartless if you think this boy should EVER be "locked up"! You have GOT to be kidding me! For what? You are naive to merely think he did not know "guns can kill". That's NOT the issue! He apparently had a parent that thought it OK to have a gun that "can kill" in the household! How dare you hold a young child accountable for this, when he never even pulled any trigger. Where is your human compassion? We live in a nation with people that deserve to be "locked up" a hell of a lot more than any innocent child, such as Bush and Cheney for their war crimes and likely plotting of 9/11 to fuel war crimes for corrupt war profiteering of Wall St and its cronies, for ignorant American citizens that think we are "fighting for our country" especially selfish, sexist ones thinking their daughters deserve some type of protection from war more than anyone's sons....we teach kids that gee look, it's cool to be the nation with the "strongest army" and spending more than half the world combined on weapons, yeah! And wrongly target boys for such violence, like it's something "brave" to do....and you who were no less appropriate to be pushed into such violence say to throw an innocent boy into prison when he is 18 for carrying a gun to school? Get a grip on reality
childfirst: Natalie, you are heartless if you think this boy should
I can't believe people think this kid should be locked up and are complaining about the sentence. The mother should be locked up, sure enough, but at 9 he had no way of knowing that slamming his book bag down wold hurt that little girl. I feel terrible for him and for the girl, but his mother should absolutely face years in jail, it is 100% her fault. Not only for having the gun around him but for providing the environment where he probably thought a gun was cool and wanted to show his friends... I have a child this age, they have no idea about the consequences of their actions, and look to adults around them to guide them. Putting him away will do nothing but mess him up forever.
tanya11111: I can't believe people think this kid should be locked
Well, I commend him for doing the right thing and admitting he was guilty. That's more than a lot of criminals (especially white collar political and financial ones) do.
A 9 year old boy takes more responsibility for his actions than a well known right wing talk show radio host did recently. Who's the man now?
mlaiuppa: Well, I commend him for doing the right thing and
Apples and Oranges, the kid didn't act intentionally, BP knew their Platform had many safety issues and ignored them. Leave the thinking to the adults.
Proximate_Cause: Apples and Oranges, the kid didn't act intentionally, BP knew
miaiuppa.....not too many people would agree with you. A nine year old child should NOTY "admit his/her guilt" for such a tragic accident to happen. This little boy did nothing wrong. His mother is the criminal, she is the one that had the gun. A 9 year old child looks to her/his parents for guidance, SHE taught him "guns are cool". He likely had no intentions of using it.....boys are no more apt at guns than girls.....and in fact, a woman is a better shot than a man. Boys are no more violent prone than girls.....you seem to be insensitive. And a little boy is not a "man", nor should he even be expected to be.
childfirst: miaiuppa.....not too many people would agree with you. A nine
This punishment was too light... he should get at least a year of community service and some type of counseling. Some have suggested that he should be put in juvenile detention until 18, but I don't agree with that if the judge believes he has good character and he won't get into any further trouble.
As for the girl, I sure hope she turns out okay.
rationaltactics: This punishment was too light... he should get at least
rationaltactics....you are yet another heartless soul. Why so sad for the girl.....yet think the boy, whom never touched the gun...should be "punished" for anything? That would not do anything good for our society, punishing innocent kids for their mother's crime. We are quite sure a 9 year old beautiful child did not go waltzing into some gun shop, buy the gun, load it up and forget to put the safety lock on. Stop pointing fingers....and how do you know how "innocent" the girl that got shot was? Perhaps we could find some horrific "act" she did too......and throw her into prison as well. Hell, let's just toss all the innocent children being taught by USA's fed govt, which is among the most violent of government's in the world, in prison for following what their parents, sickos believing and teaching them that "war serves our nation", in prison. You are heatless
childfirst: rationaltactics....you are yet another heartless soul. Why so sad for
I came across this as I was getting ready to leave for the day. Looks like the parents of the victim are planning on filing a civil suit against the boy's family: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/141074063.html
Also, a fund to help pay for the little girl's medical care has been established. Donations can be made at any Bank of America branch, to the Amina Kocer Bowman trust.
geddy_lee_is_a_god: I came across this as I was getting ready to
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HuffPost Crime Buck Wolf First Posted: 03/06/2012 8:23 pm Updated: 08/15/2012 4:51 pm