Richard
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 4,997
- Location
- Knoxville, TN
- Tractor
- International 1066 Full sized JCB Loader/Backhoe and a John Deere 430 to mow with
Ross, is in Atlanta. His parents divorced a couple years ago and his father married my younger sister. Being a 17 year old, popular kinda guy, Ross did the things that kids his age do. One thing different about Ross was… he evidently had a knack of ALWAYS being caught.
2 examples.
He skipped school once he went into a Waffle House (where my 2 sisters are regional managers and my OLDER sister happened to be IN the store) He walked in & she popped her head up over the counter and said “Hi Ross…” He opened his eyes with disbelief and said “What are YOU doing here??” Her answer was “I work here”
Lesson: when skipping school, NEVER EVER go to a place to eat where family & relatives work.
Second example: His father & his wife (my younger sister) went on a short vacation. While gone, it seems that Ross played Casanova. He put literally dozens and dozens of candles all throughout the house. Candles in the kitchen, candles in the bathroom, candles in the hallway, candles in the bedroom, and yes, candles in the master bedroom. Seems Ross liked blonds and had a girlfriend…..
He never had the sense to pick up all the candles BEFORE Dad & step mom came home from their vacation… BUSTED.
Last Thursday October 9, Ross & friend were at house alone. Being typical teenager type, Ross & friend decided to do some target practice on the balcony and shoot his BB gun into the woods behind the house rather than their homework.
Though the details are still unclear, it seems a neighborhood boy 3 years younger was also in the yard. The neighborhood boy, himself family friend (having cut yards with Ross and Ross’s father over the summers) was also target practicing, however, he was using a bow/arrow.
Ross being possibly in smart alec mode, took a pot shot with his bb gun and pegged the 14 year old in the hiney. The 14 year old walked over to the stairs to the balcony (Ross was maybe 9 feet up in air) and the boy laid an arrow onto the bow. As the boy drew the bow back, Ross’s other friend on balcony jumped back to a corner and crouched. Ross evidently was looking at the 14 year old & possibly giggling still over having pegged him in the butt. Ross standing straight up, bent over at the waist such that his chest was parallel, or even angled down towards the deck. I surmise his logic was, I’m ducking “under” the rail where you can’t see me…”ha ha ha”. We will never know.
As tragic as it would be, there happened to be an opening in the railing.
The lead investigator and the coroner took the boy that crouched in the corner back to the scene and had him walk through the details and then they comprehended a bit more the terrible events that unfolded.
Seems Ross was bending over at the waist when the 14 year old released the arrow. The arrow traveled UP 9 feet or so to the height of the deck, went THROUGH some “triangle area” and because Ross was doubled over, the arrow traveled “down” into Ross. The arrow hit Ross in the upper chest, traveling in a downward direction, piercing his heart and lung.
Ross stood up, arrow sticking upward, out of his chest. He walked down the steps to his friend, his neighbor, his co-worker (cutting yards) and said “You shot me”. The other friend on the porch said “We need to call 911”.
Ross said he was thirsty & walked to garage, the friend followed. Ross was not bleeding externally and was likely in state of shock. The friend called 911 on the cell phone and even gave the phone to Ross. As Ross talked to 911, the friend raced inside to call HIS mother that happened to be a nurse.
She arrived, ambulance arrived, sheriff arrived but ultimately to no avail.
The friend on the patio called Ross’s father and told him Ross had been shot. Dad did not believe it at first, thinking they were maybe playing a joke on him. He finally got the message and raced to hospital, being surpassed by the very ambulance that was carrying his son. Upon arriving at hospital & seeing his son being pulled out from the ambulance, the arrow still protruding, he started to walk over. They did not allow him to approach too close, as Ross was already gone. They did not want him to see him in this condition but it was too late. The memory forever burned into his mind.
Ross was buried yesterday.
His 14 year old neighborhood friend is charged with second degree manslaughter and is out on bail. He is under house arrest. As of today, no one in the family (Ross's family) thinks this boy shot Ross with ANY malice. Stupidity, tragic, dumb, (fill in some other choice words), but not malice. The poor boy who shot the arrow is going to have to live with this the rest of his life.
Last night was the first night that my brother in law & sister stayed at the house since the happening. He’s still in state of shock & being overwhelmed.
A sad & tragic event for all involved.
Ross was survived by his mother, father, their respective spouses, 2 beautiful younger sisters, 4 grandparents and a plethora of cousins, uncles, aunts & friends.
He will be missed by all.
2 examples.
He skipped school once he went into a Waffle House (where my 2 sisters are regional managers and my OLDER sister happened to be IN the store) He walked in & she popped her head up over the counter and said “Hi Ross…” He opened his eyes with disbelief and said “What are YOU doing here??” Her answer was “I work here”
Lesson: when skipping school, NEVER EVER go to a place to eat where family & relatives work.
Second example: His father & his wife (my younger sister) went on a short vacation. While gone, it seems that Ross played Casanova. He put literally dozens and dozens of candles all throughout the house. Candles in the kitchen, candles in the bathroom, candles in the hallway, candles in the bedroom, and yes, candles in the master bedroom. Seems Ross liked blonds and had a girlfriend…..
He never had the sense to pick up all the candles BEFORE Dad & step mom came home from their vacation… BUSTED.
Last Thursday October 9, Ross & friend were at house alone. Being typical teenager type, Ross & friend decided to do some target practice on the balcony and shoot his BB gun into the woods behind the house rather than their homework.
Though the details are still unclear, it seems a neighborhood boy 3 years younger was also in the yard. The neighborhood boy, himself family friend (having cut yards with Ross and Ross’s father over the summers) was also target practicing, however, he was using a bow/arrow.
Ross being possibly in smart alec mode, took a pot shot with his bb gun and pegged the 14 year old in the hiney. The 14 year old walked over to the stairs to the balcony (Ross was maybe 9 feet up in air) and the boy laid an arrow onto the bow. As the boy drew the bow back, Ross’s other friend on balcony jumped back to a corner and crouched. Ross evidently was looking at the 14 year old & possibly giggling still over having pegged him in the butt. Ross standing straight up, bent over at the waist such that his chest was parallel, or even angled down towards the deck. I surmise his logic was, I’m ducking “under” the rail where you can’t see me…”ha ha ha”. We will never know.
As tragic as it would be, there happened to be an opening in the railing.
The lead investigator and the coroner took the boy that crouched in the corner back to the scene and had him walk through the details and then they comprehended a bit more the terrible events that unfolded.
Seems Ross was bending over at the waist when the 14 year old released the arrow. The arrow traveled UP 9 feet or so to the height of the deck, went THROUGH some “triangle area” and because Ross was doubled over, the arrow traveled “down” into Ross. The arrow hit Ross in the upper chest, traveling in a downward direction, piercing his heart and lung.
Ross stood up, arrow sticking upward, out of his chest. He walked down the steps to his friend, his neighbor, his co-worker (cutting yards) and said “You shot me”. The other friend on the porch said “We need to call 911”.
Ross said he was thirsty & walked to garage, the friend followed. Ross was not bleeding externally and was likely in state of shock. The friend called 911 on the cell phone and even gave the phone to Ross. As Ross talked to 911, the friend raced inside to call HIS mother that happened to be a nurse.
She arrived, ambulance arrived, sheriff arrived but ultimately to no avail.
The friend on the patio called Ross’s father and told him Ross had been shot. Dad did not believe it at first, thinking they were maybe playing a joke on him. He finally got the message and raced to hospital, being surpassed by the very ambulance that was carrying his son. Upon arriving at hospital & seeing his son being pulled out from the ambulance, the arrow still protruding, he started to walk over. They did not allow him to approach too close, as Ross was already gone. They did not want him to see him in this condition but it was too late. The memory forever burned into his mind.
Ross was buried yesterday.
His 14 year old neighborhood friend is charged with second degree manslaughter and is out on bail. He is under house arrest. As of today, no one in the family (Ross's family) thinks this boy shot Ross with ANY malice. Stupidity, tragic, dumb, (fill in some other choice words), but not malice. The poor boy who shot the arrow is going to have to live with this the rest of his life.
Last night was the first night that my brother in law & sister stayed at the house since the happening. He’s still in state of shock & being overwhelmed.
A sad & tragic event for all involved.
Ross was survived by his mother, father, their respective spouses, 2 beautiful younger sisters, 4 grandparents and a plethora of cousins, uncles, aunts & friends.
He will be missed by all.
