Four Year-Old Shoots Babysitter

What kind of world is it when a four year-old child premeditatively shoots another human being? I saw a news article today stating that a four year-old boy, angry because his teenaged babysitter accidentally stepped on his foot, announced that he was going to get a gun, left the room, went to where the adults hides a gun and to the separate place where the shells were stored, loaded the gun and then shot his babysitter, wounding him and another teenager. In Ohio!!!!? Not some inner ghetto. I'm still shocked. What I want to know is what has this child seen that makes him think that shooting someone is effective conflict management? And how does a four year-old learn to load a gun, let alone shoot straight enough to hit an intended target? No words.

I'm sure someone would try to blame violence in the media - video games, movies, and television. I blame the sins in the human heart that we are all susceptible to. My own two year-old daughter sometimes hits people when she is angry with them. I know I was the same way. My parents taught me that it was wrong to hit people no matter what they say if I'm not defending myself. I do the same thing for my daughter. More frightening is the lack of compassion and empathy shown by the calculated action that boy went through to. I mean think of it. He had to find the gun. Find the ammo. Load the ammo - one shell. He knew what he was doing. Some will argue that he was too young to understand that he could kill someone. I'm not so sure. Be that as it may I can't say since i don't know the boys heart but I notice a lot of children seem to be lacking compassion. My own daughter, thankfully, shows that she cares about other people when they say ouch or visibly unhappy. She asks "You, Okay?" If this is something you are born with? Is it taught? I don't know but it should be praised and encouraged. If not, more things like this is going to happen....and will be worse when they grow up.

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions