timbercruiser

HUNTER IS CHARGED IN FATAL SHOOTING OF TODDLER
AP - Swan Lake, N.Y.

A deer hunter has been charged with manslaughter after a bullet he fired killed a toddler inside her grandparents Hudson Valley home, police said Monday.
Edward Taibi, 45, of New York City, was being held without bail on a second-degree manslaughter charge related to the shooting in rural Sullivan County.
Taibi was hunting from a tree stand Sunday afternoon when he shot a deer. He came down from the stand and fired his .30 caliber rifle again about 400 feet away from a trailer home in Swan Lake, police said.
Teh bullet penetrated the trailer and hit 16 month old Charly Skala in the upper body. She was flown to Westchester Medical Center where she died.

There is a little more to the article, but the guy made a shot that ruined his life as well as took the life of the child.

jrbsr

Can you post the link to the full storey?

Thank You

jrbsr

needmorecoffee

Google to the rescue!!!

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Nov17/0,4670,ToddlerKilled,00.html

The article fails to say why he shot towards the trailer.

MISwampDog

It's a very sad story. I really doubt that the charges will hold up. i can almost guarantee that the judge will rule it an accidental shooting. That is unless the hunter actually aimed at the house, which i doubt.

Simp

Accident or no accident, he's responsible for the bullet he fired and unfortunately it killed someone. I'm sure he'll get some prison time, probably not much though. But however long he serves will be no comparison to what he'll have to carry around with him in his soul for the rest of his life. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

driftrider

Story said he fired from 400 feet away. New York law states it's illegal to shoot within 500 feet of an occupied structure without the owners permission. It also says he's hunted that land before, so he knew, or reasonably should have known, that there was a home in the direction he was shooting. I don't know about the rest of you, but when I hunt a piece of land, the first thing I do is find out exactly where structures, parking areas, roads etc... are and establish my fields of fire to prevent the slightest possibility that my bullets will go there.

I don't think that the prosecution will have any problem proving that he acted in a negligent, or possibly even reckless, manner. I imagine that he'll do at least 3-5 years. If his lawyer has half a brain he'll probably try to convince him to plead guilty to a lesser included offense and take the best deal the prosecution offers, because I think that he'll almost certainly be found guilty and do a lot more time otherwise. My parents former neighbor got 15 years for 2 counts of voluntary manslaughter after a drunk driving accident he caused, and that was two adults. Juries and court benches are usually filled with parents, and I doubt that they'll have much mercy when they consider that it could have been their toddler killed by an idiot more concerned about getting a deer than the safety of the people around him.

Bottom line, he did something very reckless and stupid, a baby died, and he's going to pay for it.

Mike

1shotkill1993

He deserves whatever happens to him... That was just stupid on his part...

bhensley

Bad deal. My thoughts go out to the parents of the little one.

My Mom was telling me earlier that she saw something similar on the news this morning that a bullet from a hunter went into a home/daycare and struck 2 kids but both were still alive. I havent found the full details on that yet.

wdog1

sad stuff