Would you shoot a minor?

[FamCounselor]

Last night on the late local news there was a story of a robbery in a Dollar General store. They said that the thief was a 12 or 13 yr old boy with a gun. He demanded money from the register and I am not sure what happened after that.

I immediately started wondering- If I were at this store and saw this young kid with a gun, would I be able to pull my weapon and put an end to this?

What would you do?[/b]

[Lumberjack98]

If they were endangering the life you me or my family, you bet I'd pull the trigger.

[Keith B]

If they were endangering the life you me or my family, you bet I'd pull the trigger.

+1 These kids can and will kill just as easily as any older robber.

[Odin]

Yes. I'd shoot a kid or an old person or anyone else who used a firearm to threaten my life if I thought shooting them would preserve my life. At that point I would be more concerned with their gun that their age. A bullet from a kid's gun kills the same as a bullet from an adult's gun.

After the incident was over I think it would be harder to deal with emotionally though.

[TXGLOCK23]

If you are dead or wounded, how old or young the shooter was is of 0 consequence.

[Syntax360]

It would haunt you for the rest of your life, but at least you would live...

And if they are already at armed robbery by 13, imagine what they'll be into by 20 (assuming they live that long).

If you don't have a choice, you don't have a choice.

[Wildscar]

If they are old enough to hold the gun and act like a criminal then they are going to treated as such. Their innocence stopped when they thought they would start committing crimes. I would shoot anyone that threatens my life or the lives of those I am with at the time.

Having said that I pretty sure it would weigh more heavily on me that if it was an adult.

[shootthesheet]

If necessary, yes. I understand I am not to blame for his/her parents failure. I would hope no one I have to defend against die. I hope every parent control their children so a LEO or CHL holder or other doesn't have to.

[TX Rancher]

As others have said, if they represent a bonifide threat I would pull the trigger...age really doesn't come into play.

[BrassMonkey]

Yup

[DoubleActionCHL]

Exactly! Would you shoot a woman? Would you shoot a little old lady? Doesn't matter. If they're threatening your life, your family, etc., deadly force is justified and I would treat the them the same as a 6'4" muscle bound bad guy with a gun.

[WarHawk-AVG]

Plus lets not forget the 13 year old who HASN'T had to answer for any of his actions is more than likely MORE prone to kill you than someone who has been to prison and knows if he does something it will make things worse

Kids these days don't understand and are desentisized to killing by video games and movies...and if he did kill you..would he be put to death like an adult would...probably not, and the sad fact is...he probably knows it!

[G.C.Montgomery]

Last night on the late local news there was a story of a robbery in a Dollar General store. They said that the thief was a 12 or 13 yr old boy with a gun. He demanded money from the register and I am not sure what happened after that.

I immediately started wondering- If I were at this store and saw this young kid with a gun, would I be able to pull my weapon and put an end to this?

What would you do?[/b]

The unfortunate reality of modern times is that even kids can and will kill. I grew up hearing my Dad discuss cases in which "kids," aged 12-16, had been involved or actually committed assaults on police officers in the Coke Street apartments. There was even one incident in which a six-year-old was a willing accomplice in a carjacking.

The point lurking here is that I don't believe age is a limiting factor in the use of deadly force. What matters is whether or not you reasonably believe the minor is willing, able and has the current intent of causing you immediate, serious bodily injury or death. If those conditions are met and there is no reasonable alternative, then deadly force can be justified.

[DoubleJ]

thing is, with a kid that young, they may have NO idea the consequences of their actions! they may be just going through the motions they've seen their friends, "mentors" do. Or more likely, the actions of some GrandTheftAuto mentality.

for both of you that don't know, GTA is a video game...

this is not a rationalization for justification point I'm making. what I'm saying is that a kid that young imo is not going to have the grasp on "This is forever" that an adult will.
to me, this makes them more dangerous.

they may believe that the "show" ends after the bullets fly, whereas a mature (although still criminally inclined) person may not be inclined to bring the gun into "service."

IMO YMMV, IIRC IANAL.

[tboesche]

Man woman boy or girl, Black white brown or yellow. Threaten me or my family with what I percieve to be deadly force and force will be returned in kind!