I am not saying that we should EXCUSE anything. There must be consequences. Absolutely. He should go to a juvenile jail and for a good long time. But I am sorry, the death penalty is not one of them and neither is trying them as an adult. They are NOT adults, they do not make adult decisions, they do not even have the same brain as an adult. This won't be a popular opinion but it must be taken into consideration when dealing with juvenile crimes. The science is there and it is proven.
Also, we have been using the age "18" to gauge adulthood since the 1800's when we were an agricultural and farming society. People got married at the age of 13 and had many children by the age of 18. In the 1800's something was seriously wrong with you if you were not living the life of a "man." by then.
Times have changed drastically. The age 18 does not match the development of the adult brain. That much we know. But we still want to try children even under eighteen as adults. We don't expect an infant to think like a toddler or a toddler to think like an adolescent. So why do we expect an adolescent to act like an adult even though his brain will not be fully developed and have that capacity for another seven years? I really do ponder that question often when reading about juveniles being tried as adults for violent crimes.
I understand what you are saying. To me, the victims and the shooter are boys. Kids. They think differently.
However, we create arbitrary ages when a child becomes an adult because we have to have some age. But it is arbitrary. And what that means to me is that some kids' brains are more mature than others at 17, some not as much as others at 19. It all depends.
I think the facts of each, serious juvenile case as well as the circumstances of the defendant need to be examined when determining if a kid should be tried as an adult, or not.
The law was changed to allow that because there were some really terrible cases out there, like the case of this 14 year old in Colorado who decided to murder a kid one day. He tried to lure a 2 year old out to "play" but his mother felt funny and wouldn't let him. He then went to the house of two, sweet little girls, one his classmate, and brutally stabbed them to death, nearly decapitating one or both, in the process. The family lost both their children that day and never had others.
The boy tried to hide what he had done. Didn't want to get caught.
I read a book about the case but can't recall the title or the names of victims or the murderer but he got out very quickly after serving time in a juvenile detention center. He moved to California after and had some trouble with the law but nothing significant.
Anyhow, he was a ruthless, frightening kid and it was in part due to his case that some of the juvenile laws were strengthened in Colorado.
I think some kids, like the monster who killed Elizabeth Olten, are too far gone. Too messed up to be released. At least until they are quite old.
I do have hope that some can change, that they will become different people. But it's a case by case thing and decisions should be based on that.
But we have to have stiff sentences for murder. Not every kid can be rehabilitated. Some are just so evil, it's too late, IMO.
So sad. Looked like sweet kids. I cannot fathom how their families can survive.
I believe some people are just born evil. Just like you have babies with disabilities, babies addicted to drugs (parents fault), smarter kids etc...I don't think every single thing is a product of your environment, preventable, or curable.
Did/could anyone predict FCA would kill little Caylee, leave her in a swamp near the home? Does anyone think that ANY amount of therapy would help her? I don't.
I don't believe in the bad seed theory. Too much research shows that isn't a real phenomena. I think it is a combination of a propensity for sociopathy or evil, coupled with certain circumstances during childhood that nurture the propensity.
So sad. When these people heard their son was dead, they entered the gates of hell and will not escape until their own death. I know, I've been in hell for 8+ years after losing my 22 year old son.
Your post made me cry. God bless you and your beautiful son. You know how these parents are feeling right now.