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Houston Police Department
Marquiez Deshon Pratt
A 4-year-old Houston boy fatally shot himself with his father's stolen handgun Sunday morning, police say.
Marquiez Deshon Pratt, 21, was asleep on the couch when his son, Jaiden, picked up the gun and shot himself in the stomach, according to a report from the Houston Police Department.
The weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol, was stolen during a burglary in 2011, according to the police report.
Jaiden was spending the weekend with his father when the incident occurred. The boy's mother dropped him off every Friday and was scheduled to pick him up Sunday at noon, according to the Houston Chronicle.
After the shooting, the elder Pratt ran out of his second-floor apartment with his son in his arms, yelling to his neighbors for help, according to the Houston Chronicle.
When officers arrived, Pratt handed his son over to them and ran back to his apartment.
While some officers pursued Pratt, others performed CPR on the young victim, but the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
The officers who followed Pratt into his apartment discovered marijuana and crack cocaine along with weighing scales and other items used to sell drugs, according to the police report.
Pratt was arrested and charged with injury to a child by omission and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
"He's in mourning. He's in pain and feels a lot of self guilt," Sgt. Brian Harris, of the Houston PD's homicide department, told the Houston Chronicle. "He kept saying, 'I messed up. I messed up.'"
Leave a Comment:
Hmmm, according to the NRA, maybe this kid was just protecting his Second Amendment rights. I'm surprised you gun nuts haven't argued that if the dad had another gun he could have prevented the kid from grabbing his own gun. You people are clowns hiding behind the corrupt and irrational arguments that the NRA and Fox espouse. The Second Amendment has nothing to do with this, you pathetic clowns.
It's a shame that your stupidity doesn't surprise you anymore.
Brilliant response, jimboza. So concise and yet revealing. You're just one of the clowns. Go back under your rock.
Jag -
If you are one of those who reads "gun" or "shooting" and finds you cannot refrain from drooling and typing "NRA," you might well consider yourself completely indoctrinated. There are de-progamming specialists who can help you.
All people with guns are cowards
That may be so but there are also a reasons they live in fear. I don't own a gun because I do not believe in killing other, I would sooner lay down my life than live knowing I killed another but when the time comes to use guns on our own Government you will be grateful for all the cowards you so calously throw under the bus.
GoSteelers that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You are a moron.
And you're an idiot, so what?
@charles69: It's not that gun owners wouldn't lay down their own lives to save others. It's the reality that it'd be needlessly done unless the threat got removed. It's great you don't believe in taking the life of another, but what about when it's not just you that's threatened?
I'd rather be a moran and/or an idiot than a coward like you people
@GoSteelers
You can call me a coward if you want, but if some man attacks me, I will use my weapon to defend myself. My first thought is why is he attacking me? Second thought he is trying to rape me. 3rd thought, he's a dead man, he just don't know it yet.
Or I could just use my hand to hand combat training, and instead of killing him, just make him wish he was dead. But then, he would, in several months, might try to attack another woman.
So, while the rapist is trying his luck with me, I will finish the job so the other women won't have to worry about him. Plus I will be saving the taxpayers a lot of money.
Now you still think I am a coward because I won't let him rape me? If so, you are no better than the rapist. Plain and simple.
Matt - I can only speak for myself. If someone else is threatened then you do what must be done. If you choose to draw a gun to fix a threat then that is your choice. If someone had a gun to my head and it were up to someone I know to shoot the other then I would rather die then let someone else die for me. He may have a gun to my head but that is his mistake and not my own. Others do not dictate my life, only I do.
@GoSqeelers,
I'd rather be a Living Coward as you call it than a Dead Pansy such as yourself when all Hell breaks loose.
BTW - My Korean War Marine Vet, Ex-Cop, Retired DEMOCRAT Judge Grandpa (and some others that have similiar stories) are MOCKING you as I type this.
Do you object to my twin Tulwars or my Claymore also...........? What about my friends and family members that have or currently teach Martial Arts and self defense to the weak.
Regards,
Brandon The Liberal
Sorry Charles, but not feeling sympathy for him does not make me a monster. I feel terrible that a child is gone before he even had a chance to start his life, but that chance was the responsibility of the mother and father.
The father left a (stolen) loaded gun out and had illegal drugs all over the place. Let's just forget the gun for a second. What if the child had consumed a mouth full of coke?
It doesn't take a genius or a saint to know that these are all bad decisions. And I'm not making him a criminal in others eyes. He made himself a criminal. He has absolutely no one to blame but himself.
Really? Do we have a lack of children these days?
I didn't single anyone out Jesse. I stated that it is not on us to judge him. You do not know what the outcome of this tragedy is. People die all day long. It's how we over come that defines us. I dare you to admit that you never made a mistake. If you choose to throw stones then do so but know that some day someone will be throwing stones in your direction for your mistakes. Compassion leads to compassion. Hate leads to hate.
It's much better to pray for the fallen and spread light than condemn the world. We are all sinners, we all make mistakes.
Charles -
I agree that spreading light is far superior to spreading darkness. On the other hand, those of us who have been here awhile recognize that our society has gone way overboard on the "forgiveness and understanding" issue.
Poor choices? Foregive and let there be few or no consequences? How about the dad here has chosen to lead a life of crime, has previous convictions, and needs to be put away where his further "poor decisions" won't impact society as his past and present ones have?
What do you mean we don't know what the out come of the tragedy is. A kid died man. Read the story. And yes we can judge. Sure we all sin, and go ahead at throw staones at me, I make mistakes, but not in the act of doing illegal things. Wake the hell up mommies boy. Stop feeling sorry for these morons. Want to sell drugs, Steal guns, have babies you can afford with a legit job, then prepare to face the truth. I feel sorry for the kid. The dad will rot in hell. Hopefully.
I never said to let him go. I am saying us as observers really have no business with this. Police were there before us for a reason. I am saying it is not for us to judge because we are not qualified enough.
Charles69: We are not monsters, the facts are this man, who has a criminal record, had an illegal firearm, and the worst part, it was not put away in a safe place, and unloaded, in the presence of children. These are the facts, no judging needed.
Self-regulated population control. No problem with that.
21 years old and taking drugs, popping out babies. We as a country have to stop giving incentives for people to pop out babies. In Los Angeles hispanics are popping out babies at record rates and collecting every sort of assistance program. You should not be allowed to pop out babies unless you can prove you can pay for them.
Dang and you were wondering why your kid popped out with a nice dark tan. Should of locked the door so sancho couldnt take care of the ol lady.
You're damn right you messed up, dumb ass. This was an easily avoidable accident if you were a "responsible parent".
Liberals are full of crap. They only admit they want all guns banned on the internet. If asked in person they say they are for assault weapon bans but they want the whole mile.
The cats and the cradle and silver spoon, ....
The cats and the cradle and the silver spoon....
I have no sympathy for the man. He's as responsible for his son's death as if he put the gun in his hands in the first place. Hope it haunts him for the rest of his days. Gun laws would not have saved this child, the man stole it, he didn't obtain it legally.
Wow...
Why don't we address the baby [overpopulation] problem as well as the gun problem? Offer a case of liquor or carton of cigarettes to anyone who will undergo voluntary and free sterilization? Or a food stamp card for a limited time?
Sterilization should be a requirement to go on welfare.
Most of your family would'nt be here if that was the case.
Had to catch the Mavs - Lakers pregame show...
Remember: government enforced sterilization is a bad thing!
Lets do it mandatory sterilization of all racist people no matter thier ethnicity!
Once again we aren't talking about a law abiding citizen with a gun, but an idiot who stole one. NRA members and law abiding citizens would have the gun locked up, as mine is, and I live alone, and not on the table while dope head daddy sleeps one off. BLS, all guns don't go, all dopes go. Most states have laws now making the owner responsible for the safekeeping of their weapons. this thug will go to Jail for manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and for just being stupid. Once again don't blame the GUN for this but the idiot who stole it and didn't keep it safe. More weeding out of the herd.
If Obama had a son.....
It's Obama's fault!
These pictures are getting pretty repetitive. All of them look like they could be bro's!!! All of these idiots that cannot even legally have a gun are the one's escalating this madness of gun control. These same idiots are milking the entire system to debt. Look around!!!!
He is messed up and unfortunately the little boy was the recipient of his non thinking behavior.
RIP
Though gun laws would not have saved this child, it may saved dozens if not hundreds of children in the future, where some fool won't be able to use a military type gun (it made for military type uses) with oversized clips to slaughter masses of children. Reasonable restrictions should include military type of guns along with prohibitation of gun shows loop hole of obtaining a gun without a background check. A mass murderer with a mental problem shouldn't be allowed to obtain a gun without a background check.
@John M. Do you really know first hand how many crimes are committed with a gun that was purchased at a gun show? I suggest you look it up. The FBI has the date compiled.
After you check that, you will see that there is no real need for closing those 'so called loopholes' as...well the stats will prove me correct. And pray tell John, how do you tell if a person with a mental problem has a mental problem.
Your arguement doesn't make sense. Why not just enforce the frigging laws that are on the books. Try that first, it might surprise you anti gun people.
Put him in jail where he belongs. What is needed.
Mandatory Background checks for every sale private or dealer.
Mandatory gun registration either purchase or already owned.
Mandatory psych eval for all gun purchases from a psych like a script.
Mandatory registration of all weapons either purchased or owned. 90 days to register.
Mandatory jail time if caught with unregistered weapon.
Lets do it!
Let's don't.
Someone said all guns must go-WRONG All lowlife drug dealing bums MUST go
tr
Failed to mention the father is also a criminal. These are the folks that should be prevented from having guns but they steal them or buy them from other gang members and criminals. That is what is wrong with the World, PEOPLE, period! Some people are just not responsible. How do you weed these imbeciles out? We saw what happened in Las Vegas where a criminal with a long rap sheet just last year was out on probation only to kill 3 other people. He should have behind bars to begin with. Will it ever end?