February 04, 2008
15-Year-Old Suburban Baltimore Teen Kills Parents And Brothers
From WBAL TV Baltimore and the Baltimore Sun:
COCKEYSVILLE, Md. -- Baltimore County police have charged a 15-year-old boy with four counts of first-degree murder in the killings of his parents and his two younger brothers. Meanwhile, members of a quiet suburb are in mourning.Nicholas Waggoner Browning has been charged as an adult in the slayings of his father, John Browning (an attorney), 45; his mother Tamara, 44; and his brothers Gregory, 13, and Benjamin, 11. . .Nicholas Browning, a student at Dulaney High School, had a disagreement with his father and used his father's handgun to kill his family Friday night. . .
Browning, who will turn 16 on Saturday, was described as a class clown who took upper-level classes and had recently completed a prayer garden at Epworth United Methodist Church - a service project that put him one step away from becoming an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Scouting. . .
The teenager threw the gun into some bushes near the family's Cockeysville home and then spent Friday night and all day Saturday with friends, police said.
When dropped off at his house Saturday, Nicholas Browning went inside and came back out, telling his friends that his father was dead. But after detectives noted inconsistencies in his statements, the teen confessed to the crimes. . .
Fellas, what?? He shot his family and then went and hung out with friends? His mom, and his brothers? His brothers?? He got into a fight with his Dad. Why shoot everybody else?
I wonder what would have happened had there not been a gun in the house? Maybe the father and son would have just duked it out and punched some holes in the wall or something?
Posted by anthony at February 4, 2008 08:55 AM | TrackBackor if the gun simply had a lock on it...
Posted by: james at February 4, 2008 12:35 PMThe kid shot his entire family and then went to hang out with friends. I'm not sure the absence of a gun would've changed a thing.
Posted by: dramaturge at February 4, 2008 02:07 PMI'm with dramaturge. whatever the motivation that moved this child to murder his dad, and mom, and brothers, would not have been thwarted by lack of access to a handgun. A knife, or screwdriver, or sciccors, or (you pick the common household object that could be used) would suffice. this is more a matter of the heart and the actions that flow from it than it is a matter of gun control.
Posted by: bsimms at February 4, 2008 02:16 PMThese are all good points but he might have been less successful. I really do want to know what the argument with his dad was about. This is so tragic.
Posted by: Anthony at February 4, 2008 02:51 PMA similar thing happened down here in Chapel Hill a couple years ago. A kid about the same age, same demographic, disagreement with the parents, killed the parents. Then he had a party in his house--with the dead parents in it. None of the other kids knew. It was crazy.
Posted by: Jamie at February 4, 2008 05:12 PMThe argument may be important, but the other side of it is dead. We're never going to get an unbiased account of this.
I'm struck by how he seems to have been ready to kill. There's a story there that doesn't seem to be explained by just an argument. Somehow he was able to use the pistol and ready to kill with it. We might get a good answer for that.
And then he went off partying with friends. Say what? As they dig, there is going to be a story that comes out that might tell us a bit of why he was so ready to kill.
Posted by: Bike Bubba at February 4, 2008 06:39 PMMay God bless this child ! We don't know all of the circumstances that led to this terrible tragedy. God only knows and may the truth eventually prevail.
Hopefully grown ups will not continue to leave guns
in the reach of children !!
May God bless this child ! We don't know all of the circumstances that led to this terrible tragedy. God only knows and may the truth eventually prevail.
Hopefully grown ups will not continue to leave guns
in the reach of children !!
ON KILLING by Lieutenant Colonel Grossman
Posted by: STork at February 4, 2008 11:36 PMSTork,
EXCELLENT BOOK! You are absolutely right. It's eerie isn't it?
Posted by: Brad at February 5, 2008 11:36 AM