Michael Santiago, 25, is under arrest for felony child endangerment after his 6-year-old son accidentally shot and killed his 3-year-old brother. Santiago kept the .32-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver fully loaded on top of the refrigerator.
The boys were reportedly playing “cops and robbers” when the gun went off. Their grandfather was watching them but was upstairs at the time. Santiago is a former gang member who said that he had the gun (purchased illegally off the street) to protect himself after testifying against a fellow gang member. Santiago, a manager at a Papa Ray’s Pizza restaurant, is being held on $75,000 bond.
Santiago appears to have been working hard after leaving the gang — putting in six days a week at the pizza restaurant.
The combination of the illegal purchase and the endangerment allegation could result in serious time for Santiago. The question is whether a court should consider the loss of the child in reducing the sentence. Santiago is described as a loving father who did a terribly stupid and reckless thing. Given the loss of the child, do you think that serious jail time is warranted?
Source: CNN
Anonymous, some days I just have to shake my head and wonder.
But by all means, let’s keep manufacturing and buying guns, so they can be stolen and then sold illegally on the streets. This must make sense somehow to gun obsessed people.
Olly is clearly baiting Annie and Max-1. Anyone who reads these threads would never buy what Olly’s trying to sell.
Part of the problem is the proliferation of guns on the streets. So many guns in the US every man woman and child could have one. So when gun buy backs or confiscation is broached, what do we hear? Panicked and frightened people yelling about their 2nd Amendment rights.
Deputy killed with own gun after struggle with prisoner. Obvious lesson is that deputies should not be armed.
http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2015/10/18/deputy-shot-killed-by-inmate-at-st-cloud-hospital/74176544/
Since the gun was purchased and owned illegally there is literally no law that could have prevented this. Nevertheless the site’s know-nothings claim gun control is the solution.
Pavlov’s dogs apparently believe they reason.
Olly,
Concerning the violence in Chicago and other cities, it goes without saying every single day that it’s appalling. Why do you think I’ve advocated the breakup of housing projects, the benefits of the head start and early childhood programs, work training, affordable college and apprentiships, parenting classes,counseling, multiple programs to help people out of poverty and substance abuse? Why do you think either Max or myself aren’t concerned? That does not even make sense.
You claim that neither Max or myself care a fig about life based on our stance on legal abortion? I have four children, not all of whom were planned, I never considered abortion. I care enough about human life to not want to see women undergoing unsafe abortions again. Surely you aren’t under the illusion that abortions will just end if they are illegal? I was a nurse for 35 years, I’ve saved lives, cared for the suffering, the ill, the aged, the insane, the dying, you want to accuse me of not giving a fig about life?? And when you can differentiate between a 10 week fetus and a 4 year old child, then your commentary will have significance, in the meantime you are simply an ideologue who cannot understand that people who have different opinions than you do are capeable of caring about human life every bit as much as you claim to.
Many US Americans are very fearful of other people. They keep guns and watchdogs, both of which attack kids and visitors far more often than they protect the owner from danger. The watch dogs also use up a big chunk of money in dog food, vet bills, and boarding. That’s why other more advanced countries restrict gun sales. Among other things, it reduces the danger to those who are most fearful of others.
How compassionate you are Max and Inga to so lovingly care for the children that survive pregnancy. That is so precious. How you don’t see the hypocrisy is beyond me. You could give a fig about this life or that life, you simply have an agenda and the child is a pawn. Why no outrage from you, EVER over the multiple lives lost due to gang violence every weekend in Chicago? Must not fit your agenda. When a life matters simply because it’s a life, THEN your commentary will have significance.
Nicely done!
Another tragic story:
After his car broke down, Florida church drummer shot and killed by plainclothes officer
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/10/19/after-his-car-broke-down-florida-church-drummer-shot-and-killed-by-plainclothes-officer/
““He was a good kid, just coming home from a gig,” said Jones’s cousin Frank Hearst, 36, of Nashville, Tenn. “He was just an all-around good guy who never got into any trouble, never had any record. It’s just an unfortunate situation.”
Hearst said family members are upset at how little information has been provided about the shooting. They want to know how many shots were fired, and what weapon he allegedly was carrying when he was killed. They say Jones never carried a firearm.”
I for one am glad he is being prosecuted.
It says a lot about our society where a guy who wants to leave the gangster life and testifies against a gang member isn’t given a new identity but is just left to ‘protect’ himself and his family as best he can.
Boy, have times changed. My father killed his best friend with a gun at eight years old playing cops and robbers. The year was 1926. It was winter in Sarasota Springs. My grandmother had hung a heavy curtain between the kitchen and the large living to keep the heat in. The boys were chasing each other throughout the large house, around the kitchen table and through the living room. My father grabbed the gun off the kitchen table and shot through the curtain. There was a lot of grief and sorrow at the tragedy on that lovely tree-lined street, but no police involvement at all. In fact, my father was blamed. And it caused him a great deal of emotional trouble later in life. I blame my grandmother, because she was in charge of the children. Maybe there was no police involvement because they were fairly well off and lived on a nice street? Anyway, I am glad that parents are being held responsible these days, however in a family tragedy such as this I believe incarcerating the Dad, would compound the tragedy for the whole family. Now not only is the boys’ brother dead, but his Dad is in jail and there will be a resulting loss of support and income, however paltry. The death of their son is punishment enough. Let the family grieve together.
No.
Max-1
“It’s just another dead baby”
This says it all about America.
Oh but Annie, didn’t you hear from FOXNews(R) that there’s a war on police???
… Maybe another ‘special guest’ should be investigated for fraud.
Indeed i’ve never read a le union or representative of cops asking hollywood and tv for the sake of our kids to stop glamorizing good guy bad guy shoot outs on tv. First amd ya know.
Endangerment? I thot that was the charge when some nosy neighbor thot you had stupid kids….and hence something could go wrong and they get hurt. Here its beyond endangerment a kid is dead. Then again he had the weapon to protect himself and family. And a right if not duty to do so. From the ages of kids and lvg gang he got his nose clean when he decided to father. That is respectble. This case is no sadder than kids dying eating laundry soap pouches left a top washing machines. Those are candy accidents….cuz the look like candy. This was a tv accident….how else cld they know cops and robbers?
Max, more preschoolers have been killed by guns than police in the line of duty.
http://www.businessinsider.com/guns-have-killed-more-preschoolers-than-police-officers-2015-10
Children are killing other people with hand guns at a rate of one per week…
… Because the 2nd Amendment allows the free access and full freedumb to lethal weapons that ARE used regularly to change innocent lives, permanently.
Meanwhile, Americans collectively yawns…
… It’s just another dead baby.