Should he have shot her?

[my3sonsagn]

During our neighborhood watch meetings with the local police this issue has come up. Where I live, if someone is approaching you or your family aggressively, and you feel threatened then you are within your rights to shoot them. If LA has a similar view, then legally it was self-defense.

Morally it's a harder question. The article doesn't say what the "setup" was. If they were on the porch and could have just dashed inside, then maybe, logically, they should have (though in a heated situation like that with everyone's adrenaline running high, logic is generally nowhere to be found). OTOH, if they were in the yard (maybe checking out the damage to the car?) and she showed up with a knife, she could have easily been between them and the house leaving them with no real escape route. I do know that if it were my brother, and I thought she was going to nail him (or me) with that knife, then I'd have shot her, too.

 

[Hannathy]

Yep you threaten me or mine with a deadly weapon I'm shooting you.

Self preservation first. If you are defending your life you shoot to kill not stop. Cause it doesn't happen like it does in the movies it is extremely hard to wing a moving object with a pistol.

It is the old actions have consequences, don't threaten my life if you aren't willing to loose yours.

 

[luvsJack]

Unfortunately, it is very ghetto. Just another day in New Orleans. She was just 1 of 5 people shot and 1 of 3 murdered this weekend. But, I asked the question because it's a different scenario and because people tend to view violence against women differently than violence against other men. I assume that she thought that they wouldn't do her anything based on her gender.

Not so sure that would be true. We have had several male/female fights on campus. The females in now way think that the guy won't do anything to her. They are just mad and wanting to fight. Sounds like this woman was mad and crazy and wanting to fight, I doubt she ever thought about whether he would do anything to her or not.

If she had had a gun, I would say YES, he should have shot her. She had a knife. All they had to do was go in and lock the door. So, I think it could have been avoided.

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

There is no black and white answer for this.

1) they should've called the police when she broke the window.
2)Where exactly were they when she left and came back..... outside?, in the house?, etc...
3)How much notice did they have about the knife...did she have it with her out?, did she spring it on them?, etc...
4)How much notice did the brother have with the gun? Did he have it on him?, did he have to go get it?...
5) Did they have time to hide and call the cops?

The thing is the brother might have ruined his life by saving himself and his brother if they can prove that the guys had time to flee and call the police.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

Just curious. If this incident had occurred in Beverly Hills or Westchester County, NY would you still think it was "GHETTO" or is that just because it was New Orleans?

I know right?

 

[FireDancer]

Just curious. If this incident had occurred in Beverly Hills or Westchester County, NY would you still think it was "GHETTO" or is that just because it was New Orleans?

Anyone of any race or class can display 'ghetto' behavior. Gheto has become a word used to describe behavior as opposed to only location in the last 20 years or so.

It's is one of those words that has both evolved over time and has multiple meanings. It started as the only place in Venice where Jews were allowed to live, then became the Jewish area of any large city. Over time, at least in the US, it because areas where minorities lived and now, it is also used to describe types of behavior.

Language evolves. This should be remembered every time someone come up with the ridiculous idea to ban words. They often have multiple meanings that aren't really related to each other.

 

[disneychic2]

Okay, so here are two males and one female. How could they have really feared for their lives so much they had to shoot her? We only have their word about what happened. There are so many variation that could have happened and no one except the two brothers to ask. I think the brothers could/should have gotten into the house and as a pp said, called the police after the car window incident, if that even happened. Violence has become such a normal thing in our world, it seems to be the first solution to come to mind (both on her part (if she did bring the knife) as well as the brother) It's a sad thing to have happened, that's for sure!

 

[FredinFL]

I think a 19 year old non-serviceman with a handgun is a bad thing. I feel bad for all of them. I believe he felt he and/or his brother were in danger and did what he thought he should do. I'm guessing it was pretty scary.

So, while I'm sorry she got shot and killed, I can see why he did it.

 

[DawnM]

I will restate what I have said before on here.....it isn't necessarily about money, there is an entire class issue involved.

The entire incident reeked of low class.....this is not a typical incident in Beverly Hill, although if an idiot movie star or ball player is involved....well, then you have money but still no class.

Statistically these things (bashing out windows, bringing a knife in, etc...) rarely happen in well educated areas. There are incidences but it just doesn't happen with anywhere near the same frequency.

I am quite positive there are nicer areas of New Orleans and I wasn't thinking "because this is New Orleans it must be ghetto" at all. It was the actual unfolding of events that made me think that.

Dawn

Just curious. If this incident had occurred in Beverly Hills or Westchester County, NY would you still think it was "GHETTO" or is that just because it was New Orleans?

 

[DaParkers]

Okay, so here are two males and one female. How could they have really feared for their lives so much they had to shoot her? We only have their word about what happened. There are so many variation that could have happened and no one except the two brothers to ask. I think the brothers could/should have gotten into the house and as a pp said, called the police after the car window incident, if that even happened. Violence has become such a normal thing in our world, it seems to be the first solution to come to mind (both on her part (if she did bring the knife) as well as the brother) It's a sad thing to have happened, that's for sure!

Who said that they were the only people that spoke to police? There may have been other witnesses. And the fact that it was 2 men and only 1 woman means nothing when that woman has a knife.

 

[Hannathy]

Okay, so here are two males and one female. How could they have really feared for their lives so much they had to shoot her?

Quick question, Have you ever faced a crazed person man, woman or child wielding a knife? It isn't so cut and dry as it is from the safety of your keyboard.

A knife is just as deadly as a gun, I actually saw more death from knifes than gunshots.

 

[Carly_Roach]

During our neighborhood watch meetings with the local police this issue has come up. Where I live, if someone is approaching you or your family aggressively, and you feel threatened then you are within your rights to shoot them. If LA has a similar view, then legally it was self-defense.

Morally it's a harder question. The article doesn't say what the "setup" was. If they were on the porch and could have just dashed inside, then maybe, logically, they should have (though in a heated situation like that with everyone's adrenaline running high, logic is generally nowhere to be found). OTOH, if they were in the yard (maybe checking out the damage to the car?) and she showed up with a knife, she could have easily been between them and the house leaving them with no real escape route. I do know that if it were my brother, and I thought she was going to nail him (or me) with that knife, then I'd have shot her, too.

Actually, it's not. The Commandments are very clear on this: Thou Shalt Not Kill. Period. Even in self-defense, which is one of the reasons why Amish people don't go to war.

Having said that, I still stand by my assessment. If a crazy person comes after me or a family member with a knife and I have a gun, the crazy person is toast and I won't lose one minute of sleep over it.

 

[DawnM]

Yes, however, would this even be someone you would date in the first place? I am quite sure she didn't all of a sudden become crazy.

Dawn

Actually, it's not. The Commandments are very clear on this: Thou Shalt Not Kill. Period. Even in self-defense, which is one of the reasons why Amish people don't go to war.

Having said that, I still stand by my assessment. If a crazy person comes after me or a family member with a knife and I have a gun, the crazy person is toast and I won't lose one minute of sleep over it.

 

[DawnM]

I see....no, I personally don't differentiate based on sex. A woman can be just as nuts as a man.

Dawn

Unfortunately, it is very ghetto. Just another day in New Orleans. She was just 1 of 5 people shot and 1 of 3 murdered this weekend. But, I asked the question because it's a different scenario and because people tend to view violence against women differently than violence against other men. I assume that she thought that they wouldn't do her anything based on her gender.

 

[The_Alice]

In cases like this, take out the female equation and make her a male, is it still a question if it's okay or not? If this were a male threatening these men with a knife we would probably have no problem with them using force back to defend themselves.

 

[happytexasmom]

why did a 19yr old have a gun on him??

and what are they doing out on the lawn at night after she had already gone crazy on the car???

shouldnt they have called the police after the car incident????

 

[Carly_Roach]

Yes, however, would this even be someone you would date in the first place? I am quite sure she didn't all of a sudden become crazy.

Dawn

No, I don't date crazy people. My siblings, however, that's a whole other barrell of monkeys (and some of them were).

 

[wvjules]

If it were two women and a man was coming at them with a knife would it be ok? Or because of the genders it is bad?

 

[Disney Doll]

Not enough info to decide.

Was she between them and any escape route?
Was she close enough to actually be able to stab them or was she standing on the lawn waving a knife while they were on the porch?
Could they have safely escaped without shooting?

Really, if they felt their lives were in imminent danger then shooting doesn't bother me. Howver, if she was just going nuts on the lawn waving her knife around and nowhere near me...well, how about going in the house and calling the cops and shoot her if she busts through the door, because now your life IS in imminent danger.

 

[Guy Incognito]

why did a 19yr old have a gun on him??

and what are they doing out on the lawn at night after she had already gone crazy on the car???

shouldnt they have called the police after the car incident????

if I'm not mistaken, Louisiana is an 'open carry' state (i.e. - it's legal for citizens to carry guns and have them visible to anyone), and the minimum age for that is 17; so he was well within his legal rights to have a gun on him.


as for everything else, I don't think there's enough detailed information to really understand what really happened (and there may never be). Maybe they did call the police after she smashed the car window, but they hadn't arrived (or even had anyone available to send out right away). Maybe the two brothers went outside to survey the damage to the car, and that's when she came back. Maybe the 19 year old warned her to back off/leave or he would have to defend himself/his brother... etc....

like others have said, it's easy to judge the actions of others from the comfort of your home/office chair.