14-year-old shot during toilet paper prank Save Email Print
Solon Township, MI
Posted: 12:34 AM Oct 14, 2008
 Last Updated: 12:34 AM Oct 14, 2008
 Reporter: Associated Press
23 comments
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A toilet paper prank has led to the shooting of a 14-year-old by a southwestern Michigan man who believed strangers were trying to break into his home.

The Grand Rapids Press and WZZM-TV report the victim and four other teens were pulling the prank about 1 a.m. Sunday at a home in Solon Township, about 20 miles northeast of Grand Rapids.

Kent County sheriff's Lt. Jerry Miedema says the teens were intent on draping the house in toilet paper, while the homeowner's "intent was to come out shooting."

Police say three shots were fired from a 12-gauge shotgun, striking the 14-year-old in the chest, stomach and leg. He is recovering at a local hospital.

The homeowner was not arrested, but a prosecutor is looking into possible charges.
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Posted by: Anonymous on Oct 20, 2008 at 09:57 AM
Rick: Dont lump all NRA members together as trigger happy. Do you not want to defend yourself if the need ever arises? Although I do agree with you 100% on this issue.....Ima CERTAIN (sarcasm) the 14 year old kid was a REAL threat....
Posted by: Rick Location: Roll on Oct 19, 2008 at 12:48 AM
Okay. I guess he could have somehow possibly thought they were breaking in (with toilet paper in the trees I doubt that, but hey, it's his alibi...) so after hitting him once, shouldn't you stop shooting? I'm pretty confident the kid didn't keep running towards him (Im sure he wasn't in the first place). Second shot, okay, kids trying to escape... Third shot, hey let's get another in! All the police need to do is look where the bullets entered.. If they are all in the front, maybe the kid was running at him. Pretty likely right?! If they are all in the back like I'm sure it was, it was just some trigger happy NRA member thinking he found a loophole in the law to try and take away a human life
Posted by: ChargeHim Location: Elkhart on Oct 17, 2008 at 01:30 AM
This man is dangerously Paranoid! (Paranoid personality disorder is characterized by a distrust of others and a constant suspicion that people around you have sinister motives. People with this disorder tend to have excessive trust in their own knowledge and abilities and usually avoid close relationships with others. They search for hidden meanings in everything and read hostile intentions into the actions of others. They are quick to challenge the loyalties of friends and loved ones and often appear cold and distant to others. They usually shift blame to others and tend to carry long grudges.) I hope this man gets treatment before being allowed a loaded weapon in his home again. He needs serious help.He is a clear danger to society - your dog escapes you,you give chase, run into his yard and BAMO! You're dead! Neighbors, don't let your children get anywhere near this sicko's house, night or day! He is clearly unstable!No excuse for this!
Posted by: Me on Oct 16, 2008 at 09:59 PM
Calamity - Im with you on THAT one.......i mean come on, again id like to ask this guy how much of a threat is a 14 year old with toilet paper!
Posted by: Calamity Jane on Oct 16, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Okay, how about these two words "ANGER MANAGEMENT"?
Posted by: Me on Oct 15, 2008 at 11:48 PM
Hmmm.....Calamity Jane......why take our right to bear arms and protect ourselves? Gun control is NOT the answer. I do feel that you need to use LOTS of discretion when you choose to use deadly force. I do question the homeowner's discretion, I mean.....a kid with a roll of TP is a big threat right? (sense the sarcasm?)
Posted by: Calamity Jane on Oct 15, 2008 at 02:59 PM
two words GUN CONTROL
Posted by: fmr Location: MN on Oct 15, 2008 at 01:44 PM
Anonymous at 6:22 am. You are right, it's not 20 or 30 years ago, which is pretty sad. Should everyone put up a brick walls around their house to protect themselves? Kids can't even be kids anymore. It's pretty sad when you always assume the worse in people. I think the homeowner should be charged. The kids did not break into his house, they were not inside the house.
Posted by: Anonymous on Oct 15, 2008 at 09:30 AM
Pete - You are WRONG...in Michigan you no longer have to retreat from a threat if you are in a place you have a legal right to be....check out the law they call "The Castle Doctrine"....in MI you do NOT have to retreat. However, how much of a threat is a 14 year old with a roll of TP????
Posted by: Anonymous on Oct 15, 2008 at 07:22 AM
this is not 20 0r 30 years ago stay the HELL out of people yards and or property or face getting shot some of you idiots say call the cops(waste of time) where do you live next to to duncan doughnuts by the time they show everything is over stolen or vandalized get with it do what this guy did crime will go down fast one way or another
Posted by: Pete Location: Niles on Oct 15, 2008 at 06:50 AM
Well all I have to say is the dumb kids took a chance TPing a house. Even if They didn't need to be shot, the guy was just defending his castle. So many times you hear stories that people get sued or into trouble for protecting their property or themselves, after working so hard for what they have. Needless to say the home owner will be facing charges because he shot the kid. He broke several laws, one being the discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a building. And in MI you can't shoot someone to protect yourself unless they are inside the house and are posing a serrious threat to your life. And even then the law says that you have to make an attempt to get away.
Posted by: Not a hater. on Oct 15, 2008 at 01:04 AM
No one should shoot blindly into the dark, especially in a well populated neighborhood. He could have killed an innocent victim. This kid was only 14 and thought he was having a little Halloween fun. Kids T.P. people's homes out of fun and they know the T.P. won't cause any permanent damage. I think the shooter made up the story about a robber after he realized he shot a 14 year old child. I guess some of you never had any Halloween fun, nor ever made a childish mistake. I thank God I live in an area where kids aren't considered to be criminals that deserve to be shot over a little toilet paper. Go ahead and live in fear and hate in your neighborhoods, and just keep shooting at each other. I'm glad I live among friendlier people.
Posted by: dan Location: SB on Oct 14, 2008 at 06:24 PM
the man had no idea what was going to happen to him or any one else in his house.maybe he thought they were going to break in and hurt or kill some one.the kids were in the wrong and should not have been out at that time of night.did the police think about that?
Posted by: freddy cruger Location: holloween on Oct 14, 2008 at 05:57 PM
lets all go tee pee and soap linda's house she going to call the cops if she even hears us i so scared maybe if i knew you were going to shoot at me i wouldn't
Posted by: Anonymous on Oct 14, 2008 at 05:50 PM
tee-peeing doesn't hurt anything but they may have woke the guy up suddenly and without much thought he grab his gun i would have too if you wait on the police to show you might as well not get up and see what got stolen or vandalized the next day no charges should be filed
Posted by: Emilie on Oct 14, 2008 at 04:06 PM
Wow. Talk about going overboard. This is ridiculous. He should have called the police, and if he felt he was in danger, fired a warning shot or something? I am a gun owner, and I would never shoot someone that wasn't a direct threat to me or my family. And I certainly wouldn't shoot someone over property. People are to greedy and materialistic these days. Even if he was robbing the place, should he really be fatally wounded?
Posted by: mamarider Location: mishawaka on Oct 14, 2008 at 02:44 PM
this can be tricky i lean toward the kid had it coming how was the owner to know? and then flip side did he really have to fire 3 shots? maybe if there was someone on the porch but in the yard? far enough away tha he could not see what they really were doing. it is a tough situation for all involved lessons to be learned (i do not think there should be charges though)
Posted by: AL Location: SOUTH BEND on Oct 14, 2008 at 01:52 PM
MY GOODNESS. SHOT OVER TOILET PAPER. TOILET PAPERING ISN'T VANDALISM OR ANYTHING. IT CLEANS UP WITHOUT DAMAGE. THIS MAN TRIED TO KILL SOMEONE OVER TOILET PAPER? WHY ISN'T HE IN JAIL? HE OBVIOUSLY HAS SOME ANGER ISSUES!
Posted by: Michael Location: South Bend on Oct 14, 2008 at 01:05 PM
Say what you will, but that house will never be TP(ed) again.
Posted by: Madison Location: South Bend on Oct 14, 2008 at 12:07 PM
Are you kidding? Charges? Stay out of other people's yards and learn to treat things with respect. A 14 year old shouldn't have been out at 1am in the first place!
Posted by: Scott Location: Benton Harbor on Oct 14, 2008 at 10:24 AM
How ridiculous. I am not an advocate of gun control, but I do belileve stupid people shouldnt have them! Im all for the use of deadly force to protect yourself or your property...but to protect it from toilet paper? This seems a bit too excessive, and I hope that homeowner is prosecuted.
Posted by: Linda Location: Granger on Oct 14, 2008 at 10:02 AM
I realize that a prank like tee-peeing is not going to hurt anyone and kids will be kids but I also think a person has a right to defend their property. However, the man should have called the police and reported the boys instead of shooting at them. They weren't trying to do him bodily harm so I think his response was a little extreme.
Posted by: jan Location: edmonds on Oct 14, 2008 at 08:01 AM
surely, the homeowner might have been a little anxious and maybe acted too quickly but if the teen wouldn't have been at the house, this wouldn't have happened...think about the consequences. isn't this similiar to the robber who broke into someone's house and got hurt on the premises and sued the homeowner??? maybe people (&teens) have too much time on their hands and should be working or volunteering....what a good idea!
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