Police in this small eastern Arizona community are looking into the possibility that an 8-year-old boy who is charged with killing his father and another man with a rifle had been abused, the police chief said Saturday.

The boy, who faces two counts of premeditated murder, did not act on the spur of the moment, Police Chief Roy Melnick said.

"I'm not accusing anybody of anything at this point," he said Saturday. "But we're certainly going to look at the abuse part of this. He's 8 years old. He just doesn't decide one day that he's going to shoot his father and shoot his father's friend for no reason. Something led up to this."

A judge determined Friday that there was probable cause to show the boy fatally shot his father, Vincent Romero, 29, and Timothy Romans, 39, of San Carlos, with a .22-caliber rifle.

Under Arizona law, charges can be filed against anyone 8 or older. The judge ordered a psychological evaluation.

The boy had no record of complaints with Arizona Child Protective Services, said Apache County Attorney Brad Carlyon.

"He had no record of any kind, not even a disciplinary record at school," he said. "He has never been in trouble before."

The fact that nothing was reported doesn't mean much.  More often than not abuse is never reported.  Apparently the Father taught the kid how to fire a gun.  You don't teach an 8 year old to fire a gun.

The fact that nothing was reported doesn't mean much.  More often than not abuse is never reported.  Apparently the Father taught the kid how to fire a gun.  You don't teach an 8 year old to fire a gun.

So true

Shouldn't this story involve Jamie Lee Curtis somewhere?
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/hiding.gif

Hey, I was taught how to fire a gun when I was 8.  'Twas a Cub Scout event and of course closely supervised.  Very small .22 caliber rifles... single shot.  Was loads of fun, we really shot up the place!

Hey, I was taught how to fire a gun when I was 8.  'Twas a Cub Scout event and of course closely supervised.  Very small .22 caliber rifles... single shot.  Was loads of fun, we really shot up the place!


This explains a bit of your mentality.  Who paid for damages after you guys played "shoot out at the OK coral"?  So what's the difference than between you and this kid?  Why didn't you pump someone full of lead?

Hey, I was taught how to fire a gun when I was 8.  'Twas a Cub Scout event and of course closely supervised.  Very small .22 caliber rifles... single shot.  Was loads of fun, we really shot up the place!

Then scoutmaster took y'all out fer boilermakers and stag films!
:P

There is probably much more to this story than meets the eye.  No doubt some serious abuse going on.  I heard one clip that said mom had just left to return home(on a plane) after visiting from where ever she was living.  From that I read a desperate kid.

The fact that nothing was reported doesn't mean much.  More often than not abuse is never reported.  Apparently the Father taught the kid how to fire a gun.  You don't teach an 8 year old to fire a gun.
If your father is a hunter and he want's you to enjoy the sport with him, yes you are taught how to aim and fire a gun....

There is probably much more to this story than meets the eye.  No doubt some serious abuse going on.  I heard one clip that said mom had just left to return home(on a plane) after visiting from where ever she was living.  From that I read a desperate kid.


Let's not leave out the idea that there is, however remote it may be, a chance that the kid is just evil too, a "bad seed".  You know, like Damien from The Omen.

Not all bad behaviour by kids is due to their upbringing.  :-\\

There is probably much more to this story than meets the eye.  No doubt some serious abuse going on.  I heard one clip that said mom had just left to return home(on a plane) after visiting from where ever she was living.  From that I read a desperate kid.

In one story they did report that police have been to the house for domestic violence,but they are still looking into it.The father had full custody of the boy,while his mother lives in Mississippi.
This is from one of the articles
Police chief Roy Melnick said his officers are looking into  whether the boy  might have been abused.
'I'm not accusing anybody of anything at this point,' he  said.
'But we're certainly going to look at the abuse part of this.  He's eight years  old. He just doesn't decide one day that he's going to shoot  his father and  shoot his father's friend for no reason. Something led up to  this.'  The boy lived in a rural community with his father who had  consulted a local  Catholic priest about teaching his son to shoot.
The Rev. John Paul Sauter said Mr Romero asked for his advice.  He said Romero  had taught his son use a powerful hunting rifle to shoot prairie  dogs.
'That child was too young,' said the Rev. Sauter.
'I don't think he knows what he did, and it was  brutal.'  The Rev Sauter said Romero had wanted his son to grow up not  being afraid of  guns.
Psychological tests are being carried out on the boy. Under  Arizona law anyone  aged eight and under cannot be charged with a  crime.

If your father is a hunter and he want's you to enjoy the sport with him, yes you are taught how to aim and fire a gun....


True however are you taught to aim at another human?  Coincidentally hunters know what a bullet can do.

True however are you taught to aim at another human?  Coincidentally hunters know what a bullet can do.
Very much soooo, and usually parents who are avid hunters take their children out hunting even before they ever learn to fire a gun, to learn this very action

Very much soooo, and usually parents who are avid hunters take their children out hunting even before they ever learn to fire a gun, to learn this very action


There is a difference between teaching a kid to hunt and murdering a parent in cold blood.  Hunter or not there was something going on in that kid's head.

Let's not leave out the idea that there is, however remote it may be, a chance that the kid is just evil too, a "bad seed".  You know, like Damien from The Omen.

Not all bad behaviour by kids is due to their upbringing.   :-\\


I usually don't go for the "bad seed" hypothesis, too often it's a cop out, but in this case...

You have an eight-year-old who, not under immediate duress, shoots his father dead, and then has the coolness of temper to go shoot his father's friend dead as well.  I'm not ready to say the devil's in the boy, just that there might be some blackout areas on a neurological PET scan!
:o