The matter of parental accountability is at issue once again Thursday as charging documents reveal the 16-year-old accused of killing a 14-year-old classmate in Aberdeen used his father’s gun.
The victim in this fatal shooting is 14-year-old Jaiden Winchester, who’s described as an outstanding JV football player at Havre de Grace High School. Police say he was gunned down after a dispute at a Halloween party Saturday. The suspect, 16-year-old Kevin Kinsey Jr., also a student at Havre de Grace, is charged as an adult with murder.
Charging documents from the Harford County State’s Attorney reveal the suspect used a gun found to be registered to Kinsey’s father.
It’s that particular point that’s rekindling the issue of holding parents accountable, in some cases, when their children commit a crime.
Defense attorney Kurt Nachtman, who’s not associated with this case, weighed in on the matter.
“It is a crime to allow a child to have access to a firearm. However, the child has to be under the age of 16 — and that crime only carries a penalty of a $1,000 fine, it doesn’t even carry jail time,” said Nachtman.
To be clear, police have not charged anyone else, including the suspect’s father, in connection with the homicide.
In fact, Nachtman believes it’s unlikely the father would face charges.
“It would be extraordinarily difficult, well, it would be impossible based on the age [of the suspect]. But some of the other crimes [the father] could potentially be charged with would be something along the lines of reckless endangerment,” said Nachtman.
The issue of parental accountability also stirred up last week when Baltimore police say a 13-year-old squeegee kid assaulted a 51-year-old man in his vehicle in West Baltimore on the morning of Nov. 29.
Just the day before that alleged incident, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates was on FOX45 reiterating his plans to crack down on parents when their children are the criminal offenders.
“There are those parents who no matter what happens, they could care less what their children are going to do. Doesn’t matter what age, they’re just not engaged in being a parent. Those are the parents I’m looking at,” said Bates.
It’s an issue that sometimes surfaces amid tragedy.
“In Maryland, if you provide alcohol to a minor as a parent, you can potentially go to jail. But if you provide a gun to a minor, you get a fine,” said Nachtman.
During Kinsey’s bail hearing on Monday, prosecutors revealed Kinsey had a prior offense pending in juvenile court, but what that is exactly remains unclear.
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