Shared Responsibility in School Shootings

Earlier this year we discussed the horrible school shooting in Germany which left 15 dead. One of my points was that 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer had too easy access to his dad's guns. This makes the dad partly responsible, an idea which is not very popular among pro-gun folks as evidenced by the comments generated by my post.

As it turns out, the German government agrees with me. BBC reports on the manslaughter charges brought against the father.

Tim Kretschmer, 17, took his father's pistol and burst into his former school in Winnenden, near Stuttgart, opening fire, before killing himself.

His father has now been charged with 15 counts of manslaughter for failing to keep his gun secure.

Prosecutors said he had "negligently" stored weapons and bullets.

Kretschmer used his father's legally-registered pistol to kill eight schoolgirls, a schoolboy and three teachers at Albertville secondary school on 11 March.

Quantity of ammunition

He then commandeered a car and killed two more people in the town of Wendlingen, 40km (25 miles) away before he shot himself as police approached.

His father Joerg had legally kept more than a dozen weapons in his house.

Prosecutors said his father had "negligently made possible the actions of his son in that he stored the weapons... in such a way that Tim could get his hands on a gun and a large amount of ammunition."

He has been charged with 15 counts of manslaughter, 13 counts of grievous bodily harm and breaking gun laws, the prosecution said.

I noticed that at the school the disturbed young man targeted girls eight to one. What's that remind you of?

What's your opinion? Do you think the courts and judges in Germany are talking only about the improper storage of guns? Could there be other tacit charges, perhaps not formalized by laws, which question the upbringing of the boy? To me, it seems like a father who has dozens of weapons at home may have taught his son the wrong lessons concerning conflict management and dealing successfully with slights and rejection. Do you think people who are armed to the teeth are sometimes lacking in these skills so necessary for proper assimilation into society?

Do you think the courts in Germany are wrong for charging someone other than the perpetrator of a crime? Why is that? Is there no exception which allows for shared responsibility?

Please leave a comment.