Parents apparently at fault in tragic shooting incident

The Columbus Dispatch told in detail on 7/15/07 what happened when a few Worthington high schoolers when out to harass Allen S. Davis, a recluse, and his mother, and about events leading up to one of the youngsters getting shot in the head.

Davis was sentenced to 19 years and the youngster was sentenced to lots of medical procedures and will maybe never fully recover. It's a tragedy resulting from foolish behavior on both sides.

I am pleasantly surprised that many who commented on it in the letters column were sympathetic with Davis, this nobody who, however wrongfully, tried to end the years of bedevilment he'd received from kids trespassing on his property. Most of the time, or so it seems to me, a guy like him is just a schmuck who is used as a whipping boy by grieving family members with help from over-zealous and too-accommodating courts, as may be the case here.

According to the Dispatch report, the parents knew what their kids were going to do, and - by the way the article was written - it seemed that they were okay with this "sport." After all, they had done similar things when they were young.

Now these parents and the child-victim remain unforgiving of Davis, though he did say he was sorry. But no place in this extensive report did I read that these parents regretted their foolishness for letting their child participate in this activity, nor were they the least apologetic to the recluse, the other victim.

Were they honorable enough to shoulder some the blame, perhaps other parents might prevent their kids from harassing people who've done them no harm.