Teen enters plea for shooting his mother
URBANA — An Ivesdale teen who told police he had been planning to shoot his mother for three days has pleaded guilty in connection with her shooting last December.
The 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Champaign County juvenile court to aggravated battery with a firearm.
As part of a plea agreement, a second charge of attempted first-degree murder was dismissed, and prosecutors agreed to keep the case in juvenile court.
Judge Harry Clem is scheduled to sentence the boy on Oct. 14. The teen faces penalties ranging from a community-based sentence to home confinement, removal from his parents' custody or time in the state juvenile prison until his 21st birthday.
Assistant State's Attorney Stephanie Weber said the boy shot his mother with a .22-caliber handgun in the 200 block of Colburn Street, Ivesdale, just before 1 a.m. Dec. 18.
Weber said that the mother, who was 42 years old at the time, was wounded in the chest and wrist, and other family members were home when the shooting took place.
Weber said the boy had argued with his mother earlier in the day. After the boy took the gun from his father's safe, he hid it in his bedroom and told police he had been planning to shoot his mother for three days.
Weber said the mother has been recuperating from her injuries.
This kid SHOT his own mother!!!!! Pls. someone help me out here. . . it doesn't seem to me that this person is really be punished for doing such a horrible thing! Maybe it's just me???!!!!! And I wonder why there is so much violence in our country (and around the world)!
This was PRE-MEDITATED ATTEMPTED MURDER! How in the hell is he only being charged with aggravated battery?! He knowingly took his father's gun and shot his own mother in the chest, and admitted he had planned on doing so for THREE days?! Absolutely unbelievable that he is not being tried as an adult for 1st degree attempted murder. This shows how flawed our justice system really is. Absolutely disgusting act, and he'll only serve 6 years, tops, for shooting someone in the chest! The people running this case are sickening...
Smitto,
How do you know it was a pre-meditated murder? That's just what the news reporter said. I know for a fact this child did NOTplan on killing his mother. You do NOT know all the information in this case. This report does NOT have all the facts. This reporter just did the report on things he wanted to write down and publish. And no he will not serve 6 years...it is still up in the air on what is to happen. And....there was no fight/arguement between the mother and son. So again, the report does have it's flaws.
If he shot her above the waist that is considered attempted murder, If he did in fact as he stated to police planned it for 3 days then that would make it pre-meditated. So by the simple fact of combining these two facts, this was premeditated attempted murder. Now whether the kid had a good reason to do so, i dont know, I really dont care. But to argue that this wasnt pre-meditated really makes the rest of your statement lose credibility
Please be kind in your comments about this boy. He and his family are loved by many. He is after all still a child and even though what he did is a horrible thing, he is not a "throw away" kid. Placing him in prison for years will not give him or his family the second chance they are praying for and need. We all ask why, and may never have the answers. If there were ever a child and a family that needed our support instead of outrage, it is this one. It's my feelings that in this case, the justice system is looking at the child and what is in his best intrest, instead of being concerned about public opinion.
I find it interesting that someone would claim this to not be premeditated. Is the NG lying about what is in the police report? Particularly the fact that he said he was planning to shoot her for three days? Sounds like premeditated to me. Whether it was premeditated murder or premeditated intent to seriously injure her, he didn't shoot her on a whim.
Ok...this someone KNOWS. There is NO fact he said he was planning to shoot her for three days. The young teen said he had the gun for three days. There was no "premeditating" to murder. I believe the NG not lying, but stretching some things they hear from the court hearings to sell newspapers.
I find it interesting that some people just take a story that is half true and sensitive to others and go off. Yes, it's opinions, but NO ONE responding to this story has been in the court hearings or talking to the family involved for the past 8 months to hear the truth. So find another story to comment about.
I also know what is going on and the REPORTER is streching the truth...
How can you all say this about the teen. I guess I use to be you until it happened to me.
You need to ask yourself "what if it was our family" You know what...you can not answer it truthfully. The family of this teen is loves so very much and that is ALL the MATTERS.
All of these comments are so negative! You people don't even know the family or the kid. It's so ridiculous that you people have the nerve to say all these things. I know for a FACT that this is not a bad kid. He just made a mistake in his life and is now paying for it. I have done lots of research on juvenile delinquency and he did not kill his mother so he shouldn't be tried as an adult. Plus he was only 14 when this happened; another reason he wouldn't be tried as an adult. Some people need to keep their comments to themselves. You have no idea what friends and family have gone through these past 8 months! I was very close with this family and their son. He was one of the nicest boys you could meet but he just made a bad choice. If you don't know anything about the trial or family; STOP LEAVING RUDE COMENTS!! K, thanks.
When I was 14, I knew that shooting my mom was a bad thing to do. Shoplifting a pack of gum or spray painting a building, temporary problems that really doesn't hurt much. But he admitted to planning and attempted to kill his mother. Good kid or not, still attempted murder, and still kind of one of those crimes that shouldn't be taken lightly. And the commenter that posts that we are believing miss information from NG, but doesn't offer counter information with credible source, may want to consider writing a few wikipedia articles on how the world is flat and the earth is the center of the universe.
And you might want to consider only commenting on articles in which you are in any way knowledgeable about the topic at hand. I don't know anything about the case either, but I do know that believing that the News Gazette story might not be 100 percent accurate does not equal believing the earth is flat. Your unfounded confidence in your own perception is astounding.
Armchair judges. Thankfully the hearsay and uneducated reasoning of News Gazette comment page posters has no say on the matter in the end, but rather judicial professionals who know how to do their jobs...and who have a sense of justice that is at least a little bit above the mob rule that some people seem to wish they would impose instead.
First, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Those who don't like the opinions shouldn't read them. For example, I disagreed with a Mr. O'Connor on several occasions. While I usually wholeheartedly disagree with his comments and tone, I am at least happy that others speak their minds. I never would have dreamed of telling him that he shouldn't speak! Secondly, getting a gun, waiting for three days, and shooting someone is not a mistake. Spilling a cup of coffee or bringing home the wrong school book is a mistake. Whether anyone likes it or not, this was planned and carried out. Even without motive, attempted murder or murder is what it is. Planning something out is the classic example of premeditation. Maybe some posters know everything, but on the face of what the NG reported versus an anonymous poster, most comments about premeditation and attempted murder are right on. Heck, I could make a fictitious account and act like I am the boy.
As far as being a good boy and a good family, that is and should not be the basis for justice. If the boy was rotten or his family was terrible, then by some posters' logic, he should get the book thrown at him. Unfortunately, that sometimes happens. I hope that someone that shoots someone and produces the strong possibility of death should get more than a slap on the wrist. By now anyone with more than one live brain cell should know that probation means nothing (just look at the probationers, like with the Carrignton incident, that continue to believe they are above the law). It is terrible what the boy did and what the family went through, but is such a crime punished the same as a traffic ticket? I, for one, certainly hope not.
You feel that this shouldn't be a free country where the citizenry respond and discuss local crime? In your estimation, some like yourself should be free to talk and those who you disagree with -- like gossips and those who aren't all knowing or are of another persuasion -- should be censored. I for one think if someone doesn't like what they read, then maybe they shouldn't read it. There is nothing that is stopping anyone from going else where. I guess we will have to agree to disagree.
i have been reading all the comments .ONE of you that think people should not make a comment . you are the one that needs to mind your own business ! everyone has a right to post a comment ( freedoms our veterens have been fighting for for over 200 years) also the crime is what's at hand, not how nice or bad the 15 year old is , or his family ! when i was 15 i knew the difference between right and wrong, let alone try to kill somebody . to tell people to keep there mouths shut and think this should be keeped quiet is awful. this YOUNG MAN ( NOT CHILD) must have issue, i would be very concerned if i lived near him and he should be locked up until we hope he is not a danger to others ,who already thinks a gun and to shoot someone is his answers to his problems. unless YOU can get inside this young mans mind, you do not know nothing about anything! so this case everyone has a right to speak their mind, because they might be the next victim.
"unless YOU can get inside this young mans mind, you do not know nothing about anything!" The only thing you said that makes any sense, with the added benefit that it invalidates everything else you said in your post. You said that if you can't get into the young man's mind you don't know anything, but that was preceded by several sentences in which you claimed to know what was going on in the young man's mind. You can't even get your own argument straight.
Also, injecting the fighting that our veterans (er, sorry, "veterens") have done into this topic is petty and intellectually lazy, and is a disrespectful usurping of their sacrifices to make your argument.
I don't believe that anyone feels that this boy should just get "a slap on the wrist"! He has now served 8 months in Juvenile Detention. Where by the way, he is doing wonderfully and has had no disciplinary action against him. If everyone would just step back for a moment and realize, he has the potential for being a responsible citizen. Taking a BOY of 14 now 15 and say you have made a huge mistake and now you do not get the chance to make it right is wrong on every level. It is documented that our brains are not fully developed until the age of 21. That is not say that teenagers don't know right from wrong. However, I do know that the reports that have been released only give bits and pieces of the actual events. What people aren't paying attention to is the fact that killing his mother was not what this boy was planning. What actually was going through his mind, we may never know, but locking him up is not the answer. My hope is that the judge in this case will see him as an individual that needs counseling and he will be given a chance to have the help he needs to put his life back together. You all might find the following article interesting, I hope you read it.
Rehabilitating Juvenile Offenders
Two new surveys funded by the MacArthur Foundation show strong public backing for the rehabilitation of youth offenders and a greater willingness of taxpayers to pay for rehabilitation than incarceration.
Polling by the Center for Children’s Law and Policy finds more than 70 percent of the public agree that incarcerating youthful offenders without rehabilitation is the same as giving up on them. Nine out of 10 people surveyed believe that “almost all youth who commit crimes have the potential to change.” According to separate research conducted by the MacArthur Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice, the public is willing to pay an average of nearly 20 percent more in taxes for juvenile rehabilitation than incarceration.
“Momentum is gathering across the nation to replace harsh, ineffective measures with programs that address the welfare of young people while preserving safe communities,” said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton, addressing a national working conference on juvenile justice reform. “The public understands that youth in trouble with the law are not lost, and that working with them to solve problems is a better approach to public safety than just locking them up.”
During the 1990s, state legislatures across the country enacted statutes under which growing numbers of youths could be prosecuted in criminal courts and sentenced to prison. Youths in the adult criminal system are at greater risk for assault and death and do not receive rehabilitation and treatment services. Moreover, policies facilitating transfer to the adult criminal court are counter-productive; transferred youths are 34 percent more likely to commit crimes than similar youths retained in the juvenile justice system. An assessment of public attitudes is important because policy makers often assume popular demand for such action. These new findings indicate a far greater desire for rehabilitation than harsh and punitive sanctions.
“Solid research shows that with alternatives to incarceration, such as mental health and substance abuse treatment and effective after care, young offenders can get their lives back on track,” said Fanton. The use of scientifically proven interventions in the community with juvenile offenders, such as functional family therapy, reduces recidivism by 38 percent and saves $10 for every taxpayer dollar spent.
MacArthur’s Models for Change initiative is the centerpiece of a $130 million effort to support rational, fair, and effective juvenile justice systems that recognize the developmental differences between juveniles and adults. The initiative seeks to develop system-wide changes in four core states – Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Washington – that can serve as national models for reform. The Foundation also supports action networks that link these four states with additional partner states to focus on specific issues.
Enough said.
last post-"What people aren't paying attention to is the fact that killing his mother was not what this boy was planning. " -----little hard to accept that FACT, thinking that way might cause you comfort,but to me anyone (including a 14 year old young man )that points a gun and aim center mass has to know that you are in FACT trying to kill somebody. I hope this young man lives a productive life. but we have to look at where this young man's life path has taken him so far, that if you cross him he will try to kill you, we need to make sure he is not a danger before he is let go. if he can try to kill his own mother, what will he do if some furture girlfriend or wife makes him mad.? months detained can not fix what 14 years of life has made him to be so far. if you just think he made a bad mistake, you are not doing this young man any good. normal 14 year olds do not do such awful things and needs serious long term health care and we need to be protected from him.
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