Man to be tried after stray bullet killed Tx. boy

iflyabeech · Post by **iflyabeech** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:01 pm

wow..anyone have any more details?

http://caller.com/news/2007/oct/05/man- ... ed-tx-boy/

OnTexasTime · Post by **OnTexasTime** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:08 pm

I am unable to get more than the headline banner to come up. Do you have to log in to read their newspaper?

Liberty · Post by **Liberty** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:08 pm

Link didn't work. This might be the story you are referring too..

iflyabeech · Post by **iflyabeech** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:16 pm

Sorry guys, I edited the link so it should work now..but here is the text

Man to be tried after stray bullet killed Tx. boy

Associated Press
Friday, October 5, 2007

SAN MARCOS â€” A neighbor of a 7-year-old boy killed by a stray bullet has been indicted on a charge of manslaughter.

Daniel Galicia died at an Austin hospital in April after he was hit in the neck while jumping on a trampoline with other youngsters. The boy was a first-grader who lived in Kyle.

Jose Barrera Espitia, 38, a neighbor, was arrested that day and charged. He told county officials he had been shooting at a target with a .22-caliber rifle and did not see the children playing about 200 yards away.

The indictment was released Sept. 13 and was reported Friday in the San Marcos Daily Record.

Espitia's teenage daughter has said her father was crushed when he learned that the boy had been shot and that the shooting was an accident.

Hays County commissioners say they are examining firearms regulations and whether increasing development could be a factor in this type of incident. Commissioner Jeff Barton said the committee is considering banning outdoor shooting and hunting on lots that are an acre or smaller.

frankie_the_yankee · Post by **frankie_the_yankee** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:25 pm

Try this link.

http://caller.com/news/2007/oct/05/man- ... ed-tx-boy/

SAN MARCOS â€” A neighbor of a 7-year-old boy killed by a stray bullet has been indicted on a charge of manslaughter.

Daniel Galicia died at an Austin hospital in April after he was hit in the neck while jumping on a trampoline with other youngsters. The boy was a first-grader who lived in Kyle.

Jose Barrera Espitia, 38, a neighbor, was arrested that day and charged. He told county officials he had been shooting at a target with a .22-caliber rifle and did not see the children playing about 200 yards away.

The indictment was released Sept. 13 and was reported Friday in the San Marcos Daily Record.

Espitia's teenage daughter has said her father was crushed when he learned that the boy had been shot and that the shooting was an accident.

Hays County commissioners say they are examining firearms regulations and whether increasing development could be a factor in this type of incident. Commissioner Jeff Barton said the committee is considering banning outdoor shooting and hunting on lots that are an acre or smaller.

This moron was target shooting with a 22 rifle. I think he was shooting at a target stapled to a piece of wood. In other words, not a safe backstop. (I remember this from stories written at the time that the shooting occurred.

When I set up my little 25 yd bullseye range, I rented an earthmover and pushed up a nice 8 foot berm. Ideally, it could be a little higher, but I'm pretty much the only one who shoots there and I'm not gonna put one over it shooting bullseye style.

When I practice defensive shooting, it's at much closer range, and 8 feet is plenty high enough.

KNOW YOUR TARGET AND WHAT'S BEHIND IT.

Paladin · Post by **Paladin** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 10:42 am

frankie_the_yankee wrote:KNOW YOUR TARGET AND WHAT'S BEHIND IT.

This rule is one of the most important of the four rules. And one of the trickest to put into practice.

Always identify your target. Know what your backstop is and everything in between. Know what stops a bullet and what doesn't. Know that bullets can travel a very long way and still be dangerous.

mcub · Post by **mcub** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:03 pm

Self defense outstanding, if someone dies, who isnâ€™t participating in what ever your doing (hunting etc), because of your actions with a gun, this is generally what is expected to happen.

Mithras61 · Post by **Mithras61** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:09 pm

I'm sorry the boy was killed, and I believe the shooter should be charged and convicted of at least negligent homicide.

The fact is that a .22LR round can be dangerous for up to a mile downrange from where you're shooting. As a couple others said, KNOW YOUR TARGET AND WHAT'S BEYOND IT, and this person apparently had no clue what was beyond his target.