Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Kansas: Son Shoots Ex-Stepdad To Protect Her, Mom Says

Leavenworth, Kansas

From KCTV5 of November 21, 2008
Son Shoots Ex-Stepdad To Protect Her, Mom Says

A teen took aim with a gun, his mother said, but it was the shooting victim who was in trouble with the law Friday night.

The teenager's mother, who was caught in the middle, said her son pulled the trigger and shot her ex-husband to save her.

She agreed to talk anonymously to help other women who may be stuck in a domestic violence situation.

The woman's 16-year-old son shot her ex-husband Friday morning on the front lawn of their Leavenworth home, but she said he did it to protect her.

"He started ranting and raving, and I told him he needed to leave and go home, and he got mad," the woman said.

The woman said her ex-husband had been abusive many times before, so she divorced him two years ago.

But at 2:30 a.m., he suddenly barged into her home. She said he pulled out a knife and dragged her into the front yard, and that was when she said her son grabbed a gun from the house and pulled the trigger, hitting his ex-stepfather in the stomach.

"He's a very quiet kid, and he's not the type to do anything like that, but he had had enough," she said.

Her wounded ex-husband jumped into his truck. Instead of heading to either of the two hospitals in Leavenworth, he drove himself all the way to Kansas City, Kan., to Providence Medical Center, where police said he lied about what happened.

"He indicated that he had been shot somewhere else besides Leavenworth," said Chief Pat Kitchens, of the Leavenworth Police Department.

The mother said she was glad her ex-husband survived so her son wouldn't have to deal with that burden for the rest of his life. And she is focused on helping her son and daughter heal from such a traumatic ordeal.

"My kids have been through a lot, you know? They're going through counseling and that's something that's very highly recommended because when you've got family violence, it's not easy, especially on the kids," she said.

Police said the teen was not arrested. He will likely not face any charges because what he did was in self-defense to protect himself and his mother.

In the meantime, the ex-husband is recovering in the hospital. From there, he will be moved to the jail to face possible charges of burglary, kidnapping and assault.

No comments:

Post a Comment