Michael Gould: A careless shooting

Your Aug. 9 “Shooting followed 911 call about ‘hoodlums’” was very detailed and well-written overall, but I question your intent in referencing how the victim, Kouren-Rodney Bernard Thomas, “was convicted of misdemeanor shoplifting and assault charges when he was 16.” How does this statement about the victim change the fact that a young man was shot to death while leaving the scene of a party? I fail to see how this has any bearing on this particular news story, especially as the shooter’s criminal record was not mentioned.

Speaking to the idea of “(firing) a warning shot like (he was) supposed to by law,” this is also inaccurate. No mandate exists for such an action; additionally, I cannot think of any law enforcement agency that allows discharging a warning shot for fear that innocent bystanders will be hit.

The homeowner stated during his first 911 call there was “a bunch of hoodlums” and he was “locked and loaded ... going outside to secure (his) neighborhood.” Making the unfortunate decision to carelessly fire a warning shot “from inside his garage” has affected not only the families involved, but also the community as a whole.

This story was originally published August 10, 2016 at 3:38 PM with the headline "Michael Gould: A careless shooting."