.... The mother was not threatening her child in anyway. The child would have been fine if the cops didn’t shoot him....
^sbm "
The mother was not threatening her child in anyway." bbm I was not there and do not know everything Ms Gaines said and did. She may not have made
verbal threats, e.g., "I'll shoot you if you make a sound'
to her child. IDK. May not have made verbal threats, e.g., "I'll shoot my son if you/police come in'
to LEOs. IDK. I'll accept MSM stmts quoting LEOs saying that she pointed gun at the boy & at LEOs, as fact, at least for this post.
W a shotgun
or other firearm,
she endangered the child & any person within range
by pointing gun at them. Whether deliberately pointing at child
(LEOs or others), or not. Whether intending to fire at child
(LEOs or others) or not. Whether joking or not.
Because S**T HAPPENS. Any one or some of the following could have happened, causing her to fire gun, & injure or kill child
(and/or LEOs and/or others).
Child could move toward mother
, bump her arm w finger on trigger, make her flinch. Boom.
Unexpected noise, even a phone ringing, could startle her, make her finger twitch & fire gun. Boom.
An insect could land on her face or arm, startling her, making her finger twitch & fire gun. Boom
An earthquake* could occur, causing her to tighten finger & pull trigger. Boom.
{ETA: If Ms Gaines had taken lawfully prescribed drugs, someone's Rx, illegal drugs, alcohol in an amt to impair, etc. the effects or side-effects on her may have caused her act in a way to cause harm to her son or others. Or maybe the drugs ingested, intended to calm her, were wearing off and she may have become very agitated and she may have been inclined to injure or kill son. IDK. }
Someone may say "The child would have been fine if the cops didn’t shoot him" but that conclusion is far from the realm of certainty. During seven hour standoff Ms Gaines may not have made any verbal threats re child, her actions in pointing gun at her son (and/or LEOs) endangered him & others.
JM2cts.
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* Earthquakes in MD? Yes: http://www.mgs.md.gov/geology/geohazards/earthquakes_and_maryland.html
See "Table 3: Earthquake chronology of Maryland" showing 43 earthquakes in the state from 1990 to present.