Tragedy in S.C.

[Sonic Glitch]

Neighbors shocked after SC trick-or-treater shot

Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print By MEG KINNARD, Associated Press Writer Meg Kinnard, Associated Press Writer - 2 hrs 1 min agoSUMTER, S.C. - A 12-year-old boy was shot to death through a front door while trick-or-treating with his family, shocking residents of a South Carolina neighborhood where most people know each other well.

"I just hate it that that little kid got killed. It used to be the quietest place. I knew everybody and everybody knew me," Vivian Johnson, 81, said Saturday.

She has lived for decades two doors from the house where the boy was killed and his father and brother injured Friday night, but she said she does not know the people who live there now.

Police offered no motive and said it did not appear the family knew the people in the house, which is off a busy, two-lane road in Sumter, a city of about 40,000 people 45 miles east of Columbia. On Saturday, shattered glass still covered the front stoop and about 20 bullet holes peppered the front door and a front-window casement.

A 22-year-old man was charged with murder but it wasn't clear how - or if - he was connected to the family.

"Most times you can find an explanation no matter how strange or twisted it is. Right now we have no explanation," said Mayor Joseph T. McElveen. "Sumter's certainly not a violent town but we're not isolated to having tragedies like this happen. It doesn't make it any better."

Police said the boy, his parents and three other siblings were returning from a city-sponsored event downtown where about 4,000 costumed children had celebrated Halloween when they stopped to collect candy at a home with a porch light on. The father and children went to the door while the mother stayed in the car nearby.

As the family waited, they thought they heard fireworks. The father and two boys were hit by gunfire from inside the house. The 12-year-old died at a hospital, Coroner Verna Moore said. His father and brother were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other two children were not hurt. Authorities have not identified the family.

Quentin Patrick, 22, has been charged with murder and three counts of assault and battery with intent to kill. The home where the shooting happened was not listed as his address and it wasn't clear why he was there.

Sumter Police Chief Patty Patterson said there were other people inside during the shooting, but she didn't expect them to be charged.

There was no answer Saturday morning at the mobile home police listed as Patrick's address, although neighbor Larry Sigler said he thought Patrick's mother lived there.

Sigler said Patrick didn't seem like someone prone to violence.

County Councilman Charles Edens said he lives just a few blocks away from where the shooting happened and passed the flashing lights of police cars on his way back from trick-or-treating with his 13-year-old daughter, who was upset at the news.

"It's going to put a dampening on Halloween," Eden said. "I would think twice about going to a door that we don't know who lives behind."

___

Associated Press Writer Katrina A. Goggins in Columbia contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081101/ap_ ... at_killing -- Oh my God, why would someone do such a thing?

[Sionnach Glic]

Fucking hell.

I think I can imagine what happened, though:
The murderer, Patrick, went to a party at a friend's house that night. There was probably a lot of alcohol consumed, and I imagine they were fairly drunk. A lot of kids had probably been knocking at the door all night, so the people inside, Patrick especially, were getting annoyed at it. When this kid finally knocked, Patrick drunkenly decided to get rid of the annoyance by firing shots through the door.

May not be exactly what happened, but I assure you that alcohol was involved.

[Reliant121]

Deep god.....

[Sonic Glitch]

f***ing hell.
I assure you that alcohol was involved.

I think that's almost a given.

[Teaos]

Maybe he was really religious, Halloween is a pagan holiday after all.

[Sionnach Glic]

Even the most hardcore fundies would hesitate before putting bullets through the door when they knew there were children there.

[Sonic Glitch]

An update:

Police: Shooter feared trick-or-treater was robber
- An ex-convict who thought he was being robbed gunned down a 12-year-old trick-or-treater, spraying nearly 30 rounds with an assault rifle from inside his home after hearing a knock on the door, police said Saturday.

Quentin Patrick, 22, is accused of killing 12-year-old T.J. Darrisaw on Friday night. T.J.'s 9-year-old brother, Ahmadre Darrisaw, and their father, Freddie Grinnell, were injured but were released after being treated at a hospital.

The family attended a Halloween celebration in downtown Sumter, 45 miles east of Columbia, then stopped at Patrick's house because the porch light was on, police said. Another sibling was with them, but wasn't hurt.

Police said at least two of the boys were wearing ghoulish masks when they knocked on the door. The boys' mother and a toddler stayed in the car nearby.

Patrick emptied his AK-47, shooting at least 29 times through his front door, walls and windows after hearing the knock, Police Chief Patty Patterson said.

He told police he had been robbed and shot in the past year.

"He wasn't going to be robbed again, and he wasn't going to be shot again," Patterson said Saturday at a news conference.

She said T.J., a bright young man, suffered multiple wounds, including a fatal shot to his head. No one answered the door at the family's home Saturday.

"This is by far one of the worst tragedies that I have had to personally experience," Patterson said. "It happened basically because kids were out doing what they would normally do on Halloween."

Patrick has been charged with murder, three counts of assault and battery with intent to kill, and one count of assault with intent to kill.

Police said they also charged a 19-year-old in his home, Ericka Patrice Pee, with obstruction of justice when she was caught trying to run away after the shooting with $7,500 in cash. Patterson did not give an explanation for the money.

Pee's 2-year-old daughter was inside during the shooting and is now being cared for by family members.

Patterson said Patrick had multiple drug convictions but police do not believe he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the shooting. Authorities did not know if Patrick or Pee had attorneys. Both are being held without bond.

A man who identified himself as Patrick's brother but declined to give his name said in a call to The Associated Press that he believed Patrick was suffering from post-traumatic stress after a break-in last December. The man's account matched the information police provided.

"We want to let his family know that this is a total tragic accident," he said. "He was trying to protect his family."

Patrick's home is off a busy, two-lane road in Sumter, a city of about 40,000 people. On Saturday, shattered glass still covered the front stoop and about 20 bullet holes peppered the front door and a front-window casement. A firefighter used a hose to wash bloodstains away.

The shooting shocked residents of a neighborhood where most people know each other well.

"I just hate it that that little kid got killed. It used to be the quietest place. I knew everybody and everybody knew me," said Vivian Johnson, 81, who lives two doors from Patrick and Pee but said she did not know them.

County Councilman Charles Edens said he lives just a few blocks away and passed the crime scene on his way back from trick-or-treating with his 13-year-old daughter, who was upset by the news.

"It's going to put a dampening on Halloween," Eden said. "I would think twice about going to a door that we don't know who lives behind."

___

Associated Press Writer Katrina A. Goggins in Columbia contributed to this report

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081101/ap_ ... at_killing

[Sionnach Glic]

So someone knocks at the door, and his first thought is "a robber, where's my gun!"

[Teaos]

Hmm that doesnt make it so black and white.

Obviously this guy was edgy, he had been robbed and shot before and throught it was happening again. He could go for some mental defence.

[Sionnach Glic]

So whenever anyone knocks at the door he thinks he's being robbed again and puts rounds through his door? Bullshit.

[Teaos]

He was paranoid about being robbed again, people came to his door dressed in masks... not an illiogical conclusion.

[Sonic Glitch]

He was paranoid about being robbed again, people came to his door dressed in masks...

which is perfectly normal on trick-or-treat night. Odds are he will go for a "temporary insanity" plea only because they seem to be the reasons for anything these days in American courts.

[Sionnach Glic]

He was paranoid about being robbed again, people came to his door dressed in masks... not an illiogical conclusion.

Despite the fact that they were wearing masks on a night where everyone traditionaly dresses up, that there were two young kids there and that they freaking knocked.

[Deepcrush]

He was paranoid about being robbed again, people came to his door dressed in masks... not an illiogical conclusion.

You really can be lame minded once in a while can't you...

Come knock on my door and I'll machine gun you and you family a bit. Then we'll ask how logical it is to shoot kids in costume on holloween. One round through the door would send a Marine in armor for cover. A robber in a ski mask would run like hell on the double time.

[Teaos]

He. Was. Paranoid.

Everything looked like a robber to him.