Friday, June 10, 2011

Son with diminished mental capacity armed himself because he thought he heard an intruder, accidentally shoots and kills father

20-year-old Marcus White, of Samsula, Florida heard noises outside the camper he was in with his father, 50-year-old Douglas White. Marcus was afraid someone was trying to break into the camper so he tried to wake his father. When he couldn't get his father to wake up, he took his father's handgun from its holster and went to look out the window to see if anyone was there. Marcus didn't see anyone and as he turned around, still holding the gun in his hand, he unintentionally pulled the trigger, firing a bullet that struck his father in the back as he slept in a nearby bed. Douglas was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the sheriff's spokesperson, "Due to the son's mental state, investigators have taken him into custody under Florida's Baker Act for a mental health evaluation." A neighbor told reporters that Marcus had certain mental issues that required him to have adult supervision and that his father provided it, bringing his son along wherever he went.

No comments: