[sqyire]

http://www.lvrj.com/...08.html?ref=908


A Henderson teenager who participated in a paintball shooting spree must remain in custody while awaiting his sentencing hearing, a Juvenile Court judge ruled Tuesday.

Christian Melton, 16, appeared to fight back tears as he stood in the courtroom alongside his parents and lawyer. His mother held his hand.

Defense attorney Mark Anderson described the teenager as "a really good kid who did some bad things."

"We understand that the charges and Christian's actions are definitely serious ones, but there are things to be balanced against that," the lawyer told Judge William Voy.

Anderson noted that Melton's 18-year-old co-defendant, Robert Lockwood, was released on his own recognizance last week.

"I think equity would suggest that Christian should also be given that opportunity," the lawyer argued.

Henderson police have arrested three teenagers, including Melton and Lockwood, in connection with eight incidents in late December in which people were shot with a paintball gun.

Two of the victims were shot in the eye.

Paintball is a game in which players seek to eliminate opponents by marking them with a water-soluble dye shot in capsules from air guns. Participants typically wear eye protection.

Melton and 17-year-old Aaron Briggs appeared Thursday before Juvenile Court Hearing Master Thomas Kurtz and admitted the allegations in two of the counts they faced: battery with substantial bodily harm, which is a felony, and battery, a misdemeanor. The counts involve all the victims.

Both juveniles denied firing the paintball gun at any of the victims.

Kurtz ordered both teens to remain in custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 31 before Voy, but Anderson requested Tuesday's detention review hearing for his client.

The attorney stressed that Melton is the youngest of the three who face charges in the case. He said common sense suggests that the youngest followed the lead of the older participants.

Anderson also said Melton has strong family support and has been in trouble with the law only once before, four years ago, when he took money from a tip jar. The lawyer said Melton was attending classes at the College of Southern Nevada before his recent arrest and has expressed remorse for his involvement in the shootings.

Deputy District Attorney Kimberly Adams told Voy the teenager was not a passive participant in an isolated incident. She said he was driving his own car during several incidents.

In separate interviews with police, Lockwood and Briggs each said Melton came up with the idea of randomly shooting people with the paintball gun.

Records show that the shooting spree began on Dec. 19, when three people were shot, and ended on Dec. 28.

Lockwood admitted being present during a Dec. 26 incident at the Walmart on Lake Mead Parkway near Boulder Highway, but he said Melton shot the employee there. In that incident, a shopping cart attendant was shot in the eye and initially lost 75 percent of his vision in the wounded eye.

Adams called the attacks "senseless and violent."

She argued that Melton poses a risk to the community and should be detained.

In denying Anderson's request for Melton's release, Voy said he might have viewed the lawyer's arguments differently had the teenager not already admitted his involvement in the crimes.

Melton's parents, Donald and Susan, declined to comment after the hearing.

Lockwood appeared Thursday before Henderson Justice of the Peace Stephen George, who released him on his own recognizance with intensive supervision pending a preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for Feb. 13.

A Clark County School District spokesman said Lockwood is enrolled at Foothill High School in Henderson. The spokesman said records show that Briggs and Melton attended Foothill until October, when they were withdrawn.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710.

[Rotozip2]

Thats stupid that they let one kid go.

[Demon]

fuckin idiots i hope the prosecute them to the fullest extent possible. and typical "i bought it a few days before" fucking retards i swear...

[Hitman2513]

haha dumbass why does he play with them in the first place. id rather egg a venue than paintball it because its cheaper and quieter.

[TK-421]

I really do hope the people with eye injuries will recover fully, and the people responsible are charged and convicted with the most serious crime they can be.

[Cookybiscuit]

5 years.

[Shortbuscrew]

Sigh, i hope the shopping cart dude gets a nice lawyer and sues the fuck outta them and the parents. Vision loss of 75% in 1 eye, if not recovered fully that guys life will be handicaped forever.
my first job was what he has, and trust me, it sucks, but to get shot in the eye while working. yeah. payday bitches.

The guy has a good case, the one kid basically pleaded guilty and gave up the others.

[Red Infinity]

Kids need to be in jail.

This post has been edited by Red Infinity: 22 January 2012 - 11:25 AM

[Dominerva210]

"a really good kid who did some bad things."


This is one of the most bullshit arguments you could ever use. If they did some bad things then they're a bad kid. This over-protective "Oh he really is a good kid." attitude shows a lack of discipline. I'm Glad they're holding him. I hope this ordeal fucks up the rest of his life. Blatant violence like this should not be tolerated in any way, even if he is 16. He's fully aware of his actions and SHOULD know it's wrong, but apparently his parents failed him.

This post has been edited by Dominerva210: 22 January 2012 - 02:33 PM

[Red Infinity]

HIs parents shouldn't be trying to defending him. I wouldn't let my child do anything that I didn't see for the next 2 years.

[atlpaintball24]

Just throw the kid in the slammer, he's a dumbass.

[SNAKESNIPER]

Dominerva210, on 22 January 2012 - 02:33 PM, said:

"a really good kid who did some bad things."


This is one of the most bullshit arguments you could ever use. If they did some bad things then they're a bad kid. This over-protective "Oh he really is a good kid." attitude shows a lack of discipline. I'm Glad they're holding him. I hope this ordeal fucks up the rest of his life. Blatant violence like this should not be tolerated in any way, even if he is 16. He's fully aware of his actions and SHOULD know it's wrong, but apparently his parents failed him.

Agreed. Both of those kids should be locked up for a while, probably teach them some lessons they obviously need that their parents aren't teaching.

[Eskimo]

You steal a Tip jar?

A damn tip jar? REALLY?
The people who have to deal with total douchbags ALL DAY LONG and you steal the one thing they actually look forward to, when the logical sensible people toss them some extra coin so they can pick up that coffee on the way home, or get that rose for his/her girlfriend boyfriend just to make them smile. and you stole that?

BRO.

I say you empty his bank account to the wal-mart employee.

I have Zero sympathy for his tears. None.
Common Sense doesn't mean Following the leader who's shooting people with a paintball gun.
Common sense says, "Yea I'll pass"

[Superman]

if he just shot up house slap him on the rist and move on
but
for shooting people he needs jail time

[PeanutWing]

Another park bites the dust, HEY! I'm gunna get you too! Another park bites the dust!

All the soccer moms stop letting kids have Birthday parties in that area, parks die. I want to shit down this kids neck while reading the Sunday morning funnies.

This post has been edited by PeanutWing: 25 January 2012 - 07:19 PM

[IhasAcellular]

Dominerva210, on 22 January 2012 - 02:33 PM, said:

"a really good kid who did some bad things."


This is one of the most bullshit arguments you could ever use. If they did some bad things then they're a bad kid. This over-protective "Oh he really is a good kid." attitude shows a lack of discipline. I'm Glad they're holding him. I hope this ordeal fucks up the rest of his life. Blatant violence like this should not be tolerated in any way, even if he is 16. He's fully aware of his actions and SHOULD know it's wrong, but apparently his parents failed him.

Why would you hope that? It helps nobody. The guy doesnt get his sight back, the kid becomes another burden of society, or someone who is in and out of jail their entire life costing the rest of the country money.
I hope the kid gets a moderately strong sentence, comes to the realization that its all HIS fault, lives up to what hes done, and moves on to lead a productive life.

This post has been edited by IhasAcellular: 25 January 2012 - 08:02 PM

[Dominerva210]

IhasAcellular, on 25 January 2012 - 08:01 PM, said:

Dominerva210, on 22 January 2012 - 02:33 PM, said:

"a really good kid who did some bad things."


This is one of the most bullshit arguments you could ever use. If they did some bad things then they're a bad kid. This over-protective "Oh he really is a good kid." attitude shows a lack of discipline. I'm Glad they're holding him. I hope this ordeal fucks up the rest of his life. Blatant violence like this should not be tolerated in any way, even if he is 16. He's fully aware of his actions and SHOULD know it's wrong, but apparently his parents failed him.

Why would you hope that? It helps nobody. The guy doesnt get his sight back, the kid becomes another burden of society, or someone who is in and out of jail their entire life costing the rest of the country money.
I hope the kid gets a moderately strong sentence, comes to the realization that its all HIS fault, lives up to what hes done, and moves on to lead a productive life.

He should have known that in the first place. I'm actually sure he knows it's his fault and is more so crying over the fact that he is being punished for it. Again, Blatant violence like this shouldn't be take as lightly as it is in this country. A man could have lost his vision because some little shit thought it would be funny to shoot him with a paintball gun. He's already a menace to society. And it wasn't just one day, it was over a week of just going out and doing this for shits a giggles. You think someone with this behavior is going to move on and lead a productive life? Hell no. I'd be willing to bet that those classes he's taking are continued education courses to get his GED.

[Vincenzo]

Ok I belive that was a mess up choose but kids if not the world need to understand what mike said "I play a game of tag that people shoot eachotheres with balls of paint.to get each other out." Paintball needs to stop being treated like a way kids can hurt eachother and brake other peoples property. I feel like only texhpb is full of the only teenagers(and adults) who don't treat this sport like shit and techpb need to be known for that not pbnation

TECHPB TO THE FRONT!!!!!

This post has been edited by Vincenzo: 29 January 2012 - 06:04 AM

[Noreac]

At first I thought he was shooting some houses then running off and was like, naah jail time is too much.

But then I read on....shot a man in the eye.

Throw him in and lose the keys.

Reminds me of this video.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=wZZ9PpXFHjQ

[JGARRIGUES0001]

i say he runs a gauntlet without a mask... and every techpb member gets to lay ropes at uncapped ramp with those hard ass walmart paintballs i keep hearing about

and he has to buy all the paint we shoot him with

This post has been edited by JGARRIGUES0001: 01 February 2012 - 11:37 AM