this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2024
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Brandon O’Quinn Rasberry, 32, was shot in the head in 2022 while he slept at an RV park in Nixon, Texas, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of San Antonio, investigators said. He had just moved in a few days before.

The boy’s possible connection to the case was uncovered after sheriff’s deputies were contacted on April 12 of this year about a student who threatened to assault and kill another student on a school bus. They learned the boy had made previous statements that he had killed someone two years ago.

The boy was taken to a child advocacy center, where he described for interviewers details of Rasberry’s death “consistent with first-hand knowledge” of the crime, investigators said.

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[–] [email protected] 181 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

Holy hell. Imagine moving to a new area with a new job. You're starting over, and bam, you're dead because you moved 2 doors down from an 8 year old psychopath who kills you in your sleep.

[–] [email protected] 59 points 7 months ago

... who was just shy of his eighth birthday ...

Seven.

[–] RagingRobot 33 points 7 months ago (2 children)
[–] taanegl 37 points 7 months ago (4 children)

That's the way I wanna go. Surrounded by family and loved ones? No thanks. Random execution by some kid from the neighbourhood is my jam. I never want to see it coming, though tbf, that's mostly the case.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Right?
Every day I wake up to the sounds of birds chirping, my beautiful wife snoring lightly next to me, and the feeling an overly attached heeler pressed against my legs, and all I can think is ‘Ah, fuck. I’ve woken up again.’

[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 months ago

Pfft, sounds like you can fix the snoring problem, even in america without insurance, by having an american 7 year old neighbor. Damn, I love america.

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[–] IronpigsWizard 92 points 7 months ago (3 children)

I had a 7 year old girl brought to the hospital I worked out of at the time, while I was employed as a crisis intervention worker.

Flipping out, screaming, punching, kicking, biting, as they try to secure her on the stretcher. She kicks her mother in the face in the process, bad bloody nose, possibly broken, blood starts pouring out, 7 year old starts giggling and pointing at her mother as this happens.

Ya got me what the answer is to these situations.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Imo it boils down to a child needing to feel some semblance of control in their life, and because their brains haven't developed enough to find more constructive ways to do that shit like this happens.

You see this throughout humans all over the world, adults and children alike. Self-determination and the ability to make choices, however small, is important.

[–] Jimmyeatsausage 16 points 7 months ago

And it literally can be as simple as you picking 2 outfits that are appropriate for the day and letting them pick which one to wear. That's not to imply anything about the OP or the ER story...obvs every individual case is unique, and I'm not implying that picking your own underwear can cure psychopathy.

But, things as simple as this can cure neurotypical cases of children acting out if that behavior is rooted in a need for self-determination or control.

[–] BonesOfTheMoon 9 points 7 months ago

I recall reading an AMA on Reddit by a person who worked with child sex offenders (which is just yikes on bikes). They said that usually a child committing an act like this is impulsive rather than an ingrained personality trait or something like that. I wonder if such acts are similar.

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[–] [email protected] 83 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (37 children)

What do you even do for something like this? A literal child? Do you lock them up for life? Rehabilitate under close supervision and reassess? Can someone like this even be rehabilitated?

[–] RegalPotoo 53 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Don't know about US law, but where I live we have a "Preventative Detention Order" - the threshold for it is very high, but it essentially works as a sentence of "until rehabilitated", you are incarcerated until the court decides that you are no longer a threat to the community, even in cases where a life without parole sentence wouldn't be possible. In a world where I am supreme ruler, it'd automatically apply in cases where someone who has a conviction for a violent crime commits another violent crime.

Also, how the hell does an 8 year old get a gun? Surely whoever failed to secure it - or even worse gave it to a minor - would be looking at an accessory change?

[–] FlyingSquid 46 points 7 months ago

Rehabilitation doesn't happen in the U.S. It's entirely about punishment.

If you're in prison here, you deserve it. Even if you're innocent.

[–] jordanlund 41 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Also, how the hell does an 8 year old get a gun? Surely whoever failed to secure it - or even worse gave it to a minor - would be looking at an accessory change?

Stole it from the glovebox of his grandfathers truck, it's in the article.

But even if the glovebox was locked, if you have the keys to get into the truck, you have the keys to open the glovebox.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 months ago (24 children)

I hope the grandfather faces consequences as well.

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[–] bitchkat 42 points 7 months ago

Its Texas, depending on the races of the shooter and victim, its either death row or being elected to US or state representative.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 7 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 32 points 7 months ago (39 children)

Hey hey hey that's enough. Guns are not the problem at all. We need guns to protect us from bad men.

/s

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 7 months ago

Well firstly interview all of the child's caregivers. Determine the living conditions the child has experienced for the past several years. Determine what failures of supervision happened that resulted in an 8 year old gaining access to a firearm.

Then remediate unsafe living conditions, provide therapy, and charge whatever people who were responsible for the kid with manslaughter.

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[–] [email protected] 82 points 7 months ago (3 children)

The boy said he had been visiting his grandfather, who lived a few lots away from Rasberry in the RV park. He described the 9 mm pistol and its “dirt and army green” color, and said he took it from the glove box of his grandfather’s truck.

A glove box is not safe storage of a firearm. Considering the grandfather sold the pistol after, I'm going to guess he knew what happened.

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[–] [email protected] 71 points 7 months ago

All the comments debating child psychology when the Grandfather kept his gun in a glovebox and then sold it immediately after the murder. Like, what the fuck?!

I don't give a damn what the kid was thinking, that Grandfather is the one we need for justice to be served.

[–] someguy3 59 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Just want to say that psychopaths exist.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 7 months ago (7 children)

They unfortunately do, but at that age the brain is still partially goo:

According to the National Organization of Victims of Juvenile Murderers, cognitive function develops concrete to abstract between the ages of 12 and 15. This means that a person can genuinely understand that specific behavior brings specific consequences. However, research has shown that a teenager's brain does not resemble an adult's fully matured brain until they reach their early 20's. Source: Google's summary for "has a 12 year old brain developed enpugh to understand murder

[–] [email protected] 21 points 7 months ago

And this kid was 7 yrs old.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat 12 points 7 months ago (12 children)

The kid is rotten. While he may still be developing, most kids do not kill strangers in cold blood. He was either already on track to develop into a psychopath, or the murder firmly put him on that path. Note how he got caught because he was bragging about it.

Is it too late to save the kid? Maybe not, it's certainly worth trying. But considering what he did, and the environment he's living in, I don't foresee him getting the dedicated mental resources he needs.

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[–] [email protected] 44 points 7 months ago (4 children)

The boy said his grandfather later sold the pistol. Deputies located it at a pawn shop. Shell casings from the previous crime scene were matched to the gun, investigators said.

Even considering that, I have concerns about how the police questioning of a ten year old was handled.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

It says he was taken to a child advocacy center. Whatever that is

I assume it was done properly though, messing up a murder investigation when it's basically a slam dunk would be pretty damning if it turns out they mishandled it.

[–] acetanilide 24 points 7 months ago

A child advocacy center has specially trained staff (therapists) who do forensic interviews and provide therapy, mainly to kids enduring the aftermath of abuse and neglect. They work closely with the police and the prosecutor to get the case resolved and many also provide therapy dogs to go to court with the kids.

I haven't heard of them interviewing a kid suspected of a crime but perhaps it is their protocol for a kid this young.

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 7 months ago

Little shit knew how to fire a gun but didn't know about remaining silent.

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