If someone robs me, gets away and I start shooting at a random car and kill an innocent bystander by accident, who is at fault for their death?

[Anonymous]

This happened recently where a man was robbed and the robber ran away. The guy started shooting at random cars looking for the robber who took his money and killed a 9 year old little girl in the process by accident. The family was not involved in the robbery and the robber was running away on foot. The robber got away and nobody knows who he is and he wasn’t caught.

The judge declined to charge him for the little girls death and he got released. The judges are saying the robber is the one responsible for her death and not the guy who shot and killed her.

The robber is responsible

The guy who shot and killed her is responsible.

Both should be held accountable.

[AviatorTom]

The person who pulled the trigger and fired the gun is responsible for whatever happens as a result of that shooting. If that kills an innocent 9yo girl, he should be charged and tried, likely found guilty, and serve a lot of time in jail.

What the Grand Jury did... not indicting the shooter... is unthinkable, unless there is something else in the situation that we're not being told about.

[AviatorTom]

Thanks for the mho

[goaded]

You'd think so, wouldn't you? If only to discourage people shooting at random, because what's the difference? However:

Should the option to post anonymously in Society & Politics be withdrawn?

There is WAY too much abuse of the anon feature, and too many people are asking needless questions Anonymously!

[Jessica405]

You were robbed, but you DIDN'T have to start shooting. You are NOT judge, jury and executioner. You killed an innocent person. That is murder.

You alone are responsible for that killing.

[Jessica405]

Thank you for MHG!

[SandyBeaches]

Gun control is important. Take some lessons.

[Aerissa_Jade]

You are responsible for the bullet after firing it, regardless of where it goes.

You stated here the judge declined to charge him but it was a Grand Jury of people, who seem to have better details of what exactly happened, as it wouldn't make sense to randomly shoot cars, not knowing who is in them or not.

If the victim of the robbery 100% believed the robber was in the car, that might change things but not having a clue, randomly... is no defense at all.

I wonder why he didn't open fire on the robber as he was running away, that would of actually made sense.

I can see though how the robber might be considered though, cause some states have laws that if you commit a certain type of crime and someone ends up dead (not directly by your fault but related to it) that someone who didn't even have a weapon could be charged with murder.

Perhaps this grand jury took that a little too literal or something.

[Avicenna]

OK, I am not an attorney and certainly don't know anything about criminal or civil law in Texas, but in my humble opinion, Earls should have been charged with manslaughter and been civilly liable for a wrongful death. The only scenario in which I could personally possibly have no-billed him is if he were shooting at a vehicle with a child or a helpless adult in it that had been carjacked from him, but that obviously wasn't the case here, and even then, he should have been charged if he endangered others with his shots at the vehicle.

[BCA6010]

Both have committed crimes, but the shooter is absolutely at fault for that girl's wrongful death, not the robber. I strongly disagree with the judge's decision and rationale.

Not *knowing* what you're shooting at is a capital sin in gun ownership and usage. His excuse is crap.

[BeMuse]

Yep Soros' DA tend to do that sort of thing... In LA a Soros DA charged a 26 year old tranny as a juvenille for raping a 10 year old. You think a Black man shooting a Spanish kid is going to get charged by the book in a Soros controlled county?

[BeMuse]

That's communism at work. Get rid of the Democrats and when it comes to Houston specifically get rid of Kim Ogg. She is as dirty as they come.

[jshm2]

The defence attorney should be fucking shot in the kneecaps for making such a poor job.

We do not know for sure if the man was even robbed to begin with. Let alone who he was shooting at, if he didn't even manage to graze the alleged robber.

[SmokinAces2000]

I’m not surprised this shit happened in Texas, you mean to tell me that I can just be driving with my daughter in the car and she can be killed by some dumbass shooting at random cars, this isn’t gta how tf was he able to walk away from this. I’ll make sure to avoid Texas that’s for sure

[jbobbio57]

You have to be responsible for your own actions. this guy has to live with killing a innocent 9 year old girl and how about her parents. if your going to carry a gun you have to make responsible decisions

[Deathraider]

The guy with the gun. That response was completely unreasonable.

Best thing to do in that circumstance is to get video footage or any other evidence to pass it off to law enforcement.

[CloudMassacre]

I think almost no matter what, the person holding the gun is responsible for whatever injury/death is caused by the gun. I think owning a firearm is an enormous responsibility

[AndrésC64]

If you commit a felony and someone is injured during the commission of that felony, you are responsible. Rob a bank and someone gets shot and dies, you get brought up on murder charges. Because none of it would have happened if not for you.

[purplepoppy]

This is exactly why we don't allow guns for self defence in the UK.

[DryGermanGuy]

I'm starting to think this could be a prime example of black privilege? :-o

[SmokinAces2000]

How so?

[bolverk]

If you own a hand gun you take on ALL of the responsibility where your shots end up and the lives you take if you cannot carry that responsibility the it would best if you gave up carrying altogether.

[TonightYouu]

Why do you have a weapon you can’t properly use

this is a teaching moment remember everyone with a gun can’t aim😑

my cousin Robert is terrifying we go to the range and he is all headshots 😂

[Wubs3000]

He ran away on foot... so he started shooting random cars? That makes no fucking sense its money no reason to risk lives

[exitseven]

it depends. What color was the person that robbed you? What color are you? What color is the person you accidently shot?

[Kumarima]

What you mean to say?

[exitseven]

@Kumarima If a white male kills a person of color after getting robbed by that person it is murder. If a person of color kills a white male especially if he is a conservative it is just one less conservative.

[Anonymous]

Your accountable for every bullet that leaves.

If I'm that family now I wanna shoot at you for shooting my kid.

I don't care what happened to you. He stole money not your life. Why didn't you chase him then shoot

[theblue_boy]

Being robbed doesn't give you the avenue to shoot randomly at cars knowing well you may cause a destruction. It's quite unfortunate and sad that he hit someone

[Anonymous]

He still killed a child whether he meant to or not, I don’t understand how he got away with literal murder.

[Opinion Owner]

The robber didn’t kill the child, he should be charged with robbery. The guy who shot the girl should be charged with murder.

[msc545]

The dumb shit who decided that being robbed was worth killing someone over.

[OddBeMe]

Seems like a “no duh” answer. If you fire a gun, you're responsible for where the bullet goes.

[Drumlin2001]

You for firing the gun

[RealDaveThomas]

You!