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Thread: Kaitlin Austin (16) and her brother Ethan (12) were shot and their deaths are suspected to be a murder/suicide

  1. #101
    Scoopski Potatoes Nic B's Avatar
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    I let my 12 year old play Call of Duty. I think it just depends on the maturity level. Like, my son is Very mature for his age. No one can believe he is only 12 (and not just because he is tall).

    BUT, I put my foot down on letting him have a gun. He has never asked, but if he did I would say hell no.


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  2. #102
    Senior Member wondery's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    I let my 12 year old play Call of Duty. I think it just depends on the maturity level. Like, my son is Very mature for his age. No one can believe he is only 12 (and not just because he is tall).

    BUT, I put my foot down on letting him have a gun. He has never asked, but if he did I would say hell no.
    Yes!! I know what you mean Nic. It's also about balance, right? The photos from the crime scene show approximately a dozen XBox games - all Mature / shooting involved. I saw Grand Theft Auto, Battlefield, Left4Dead, Halo, FEAR, Deadspace, etc. His lifestyle of having guns (and a ton of ammo - also in the crime scene photos), playing all gun-related games - either desensitized him to shooting someone or his desire to shoot someone was a motivation for liking the games and guns. Either way, his interests were all about guns and an intense interest in all things guns would be worrisome to me as a parent.

  3. #103
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    My 10 yr old plays these games and honestly I think it's a stretch to place blame on things like that.
    There was more going on with this kid than playing call of duty.

  4. #104
    Senior Member wondery's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by White trash bitchy blonde View Post
    My 10 yr old plays these games and honestly I think it's a stretch to place blame on things like that.
    There was more going on with this kid than playing call of duty.
    Absolutely, WTBB - I agree with you fully. Blaming video games was not my intent and I don't think video games are to blame for this kid's actions. I apologize to any who may have thought I shared that viewpoint.

    I think the parents have shown a strong denial by not acknowledging their son as a perpetrator of a crime involving guns. This is based on the obituaries and what their community has stated about the parents trying to conceal the truth.

    This is surprising to me because the parents acknowledge his main interest was guns (real and in games) which we all know is not typically the main interest of a 12 year-old, particularly to this degree where they own a gun and ammo, etc. I was surprised that this kid didn't seem to have any of the usual other gamer faves like Madden or Rocket League - that's why I mentioned the other titles. And, I think these parents may have lost sight with regard to what was age-appropriate for their kid - contributing but not causing the tragedy.

    To sum up: it doesn't appear that Ethan had many other regular kid interests which was clearly dangerous for whatever problem was underlying and led him to do this.

  5. #105
    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    It was totally Marilyn Mansons fault.

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

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  6. #106
    Senior Member wondery's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Angiebla View Post
    It was totally Marilyn Mansons fault.
    And the devil worshippers, too!

  7. #107
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    I know that video games and music have always been a hot button issue that's associated with crimes involving teens. I think it's possible but I don't think it's like the main reason anyone goes and shoots anybody.
    I think the real issue is mental health behind it all.
    I think this kid had a large amount of knowledge of guns for sport and his parents should've taken better protective measures. I think they should carry ownership in him having that kind of access the way he did.

  8. #108
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    I apologize for not being clear about the documentary. I was speak of the segment on Requiem for the Dead, the HBO doc linked in this thread.
    Living here they never reported sexual assaults or his DNA being on her. Learned that from the doc.
    All of the details were kept very quiet, to the point that the public suspected family members, or a dangerous threat among us.

  9. #109
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    That's pretty interesting that the doc had the details more than the town did. By that I mean you know how people talk around the water cooler and all.

  10. #110
    Senior Member of_corpse_not's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by White trash bitchy blonde View Post
    That's pretty interesting that the doc had the details more than the town did. By that I mean you know how people talk around the water cooler and all.
    From my experience in a small town people run their mouth and gossip like crazy over petty stuff like affairs, people's finances etc but when it comes to serious things like murders it's hush hush

  11. #111
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    This isn't that small of a town. Hanford project close by, Kennewick man controversy, and population close to 100k by itself closer to 300k including the rest of the Tri-Cities.
    The family got the town's best attorney the very next day. Media didn't repost any of this and of course there were rumors but there were also rumors focussed on other family members

  12. #112
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    Couple all of it with social media and there's a rumor firestorm.

  13. #113
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    Exactly

  14. #114
    Senior Member Queena's Avatar
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    I didn't mean to imply that playing Call if Duty leads to murder, but I stand by my assertion that when you combine multiple violent video games, a passion for guns (which you have access to), hunting, and mental illness, you CAN create a recipe for disaster. Will it always happen, no. When it does happen these factors are always at play. We're all on this website, how many kids who have killed have had a love for violent video games? It's up to each parents discretion. If you see your child showing danger signs, don't let them play, but hindsight is 20/20,and it's easier to say what someone should or should've done when you aren't or wasn't living in that situation.

    Some of these games are used to train soldiers for combat, that can't be a good thing for a young developing mind.

    I love video games, but 1st person shooters always made my head hurt. I'll stick to MMO's and killing goblins.

  15. #115
    Senior Member wondery's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spadedmaiden View Post
    This isn't that small of a town. Hanford project close by, Kennewick man controversy, and population close to 100k by itself closer to 300k including the rest of the Tri-Cities.
    The family got the town's best attorney the very next day. Media didn't repost any of this and of course there were rumors but there were also rumors focussed on other family members
    This is fascinating info, SpadedMaiden. What is your take on the situation?

  16. #116
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    Tragedy. Horrifying tragedy. That's about as much opinion as I'm willing post given that I still live here, in this community, where this happened.

  17. #117
    Senior Member bermstalker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spadedmaiden View Post
    I apologize for not being clear about the documentary. I was speak of the segment on Requiem for the Dead, the HBO doc linked in this thread.
    Living here they never reported sexual assaults or his DNA being on her. Learned that from the doc.
    All of the details were kept very quiet, to the point that the public suspected family members, or a dangerous threat among us.
    It was reported in the media tho. Look back on page 2 or 3 of this thread and it specifically says in your local paper that the girl was sexually assaulted and shot multiple times. I'm glad the whole article was copy/pasted on here because now that link is dead.
    "out of respect for the family" is why they didn't release a lot of information.

    A nearly four-month police investigation revealed that there were few signs that a Kennewick sixth-grader would kill his teenage sister last summer and then turn the gun on himself.

    Some friends and neighbors described Ethan Austin, 12, as infatuated with guns and first-person shooter video games, according to police reports recently released under the state Public Records Act.

    But most who knew the Boy Scout say he was an outgoing child who was friendly and often played with other children in his neighborhood.

    Ethan appeared happy and normal the weekend before the June 9 shooting that left Kaitlin Austin dead, police reports said. Evidence shows the 16-year-old junior at Kamiakin High School was shot eight times and sexually assaulted.

    During the weekend, Ethan had a sleepover with a friend, rode bikes through his neighborhood and watched his sister play softball the night before the shooting.

    ?(A close friend) stated that there didn?t appear to be any problems with Kate and Ethan at the game,? a Kennewick police detective wrote. ?(The friend) described them as acting normal and mellow with each other.?

    Something changed by Monday, the day of the shooting, as friends reported that the usually social Ethan was different at Desert Hills Middle School. It appeared he was withdrawn and troubled by something.

    However, Ethan ? who reportedly got angry easily and had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ? did not mention to friends that he was upset or depressed, police reports said.

    ?(A classmate) stated that on Monday he could see in Ethan?s eyes that something was really bothering him,? a Kennewick police detective wrote. ?(The friend) stated Ethan was either really tired or something happened.?

    An adult neighbor even noticed something was different with Ethan as he walked from the bus stop to his Hansen Park home after school, police reports said. The smile he usually flashed was gone and it seemed like something was wrong.

    The woman told police Ethan partially waved at her and his ?visible outward mood was so different.?

    Not long after Ethan came home, he got a 9mm pistol from a case in his parents? room and shot Kaitlin, who had arrived home shortly before. Evidence suggested shots were fired from a hallway and inside Kaitlin?s bedroom.

    The Kamiakin softball star was getting ready to celebrate an anniversary with her longtime boyfriend, who was leaving for college soon.

    Ethan had trained with the gun for competitions, and it was usually stored unlocked in the house, said the reports.

    Kennewick attorney Scott Johnson, who represents the Austin family, had previously said he thought the gun was locked up the day of the shooting.

    The bodies were found by their father, Andrew Austin, on Kaitlin?s bedroom floor, police reports said. Andrew is Ethan?s biological father and had raised Kaitlin from the time she was a baby. Ethan had only just learned they had different fathers.

    Police spent the weeks following the shooting conducting dozens of interviews, scouring social media accounts and phone records, and collecting evidence to send to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab.

    Pornography websites were found on a cellphone used by Ethan, and some references to gun violence were scribbled in a Mad Libs book in his room. However, there were no indications on social media that Ethan planned to kill Kaitlin, and no suicide note was found, according to the police reports that totaled hundreds of pages.

    Police investigated the possibility that someone else killed the children, though they assured the public at the time that they believed no one else was involved.

    The forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsies ruled in early August that the case was a murder-suicide, but police and coroner officials waited until they received DNA test results in late September before making their conclusion official.

    Nearly four months after the shooting, Benton County Coroner John Hansens and police officials ruled the death investigation a murder-suicide. Ethan was identified as the shooter in a news release issued Oct. 10.

    ?No motive was identified for the incident,? Hansens said in the release.

    But Prosecutor Andy Miller ? in an email later to Hansens and Kennewick Police Chief Ken Hohenberg ? disagreed with the wording in the public statement that no motive was developed during the investigation. Miller told the officials the discovery of Ethan?s DNA directly contradicted their news release and the notion that there was no possible motive.

    Johnson also told the media there was no evidence to suggest a clear motive for the shooting.

    ?Unfortunately, I think the end result is that the public is being misled,? Miller wrote in an email to Hansens and Hohenberg.

    Police told the media they released few details about the case and the investigation out of deference to the Austin family. They said the family was clearly devastated and they wanted to balance the needs of the Austins with the release of information to the public.

    The Austins are trying to move forward with their lives and honor the memories of both children, Johnson said.

    Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2014/1...#storylink=cpy


  18. #118
    Senior Member bermstalker's Avatar
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    and for those that did not see the doc

    About 32:04 minutes into this HBO documentary, it shows some pretty horrible and graphic images from this case. It also shares some recordings from the dad and the 911 call.
    This boy BLASTED the shit out of his sister. He shot her over and over and over again. Just look at the page they show with all the bullets recovered at the scene. They also show the bodies blacked out. There is so much blood.

    [/QUOTE]

  19. #119
    Senior Member bermstalker's Avatar
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    Sorry for the triple post but I just wanted to point out something.
    Not only was this boy obsessed with guns and shooter video games- he also had posters on his wall with thousands of holes in it. He used one of those throwing stars. What kid does that and what parent allows their kid to make thousands of holes in their walls with a throwing star?????
    He had unspent bullets all over his room too. (not counting the ones he shot her with) but he had those HUGE bullets and tons of shotgun shells. I'm almost willing to bet this kid probably stored guns in his own room.

    Reports say this kid got angry easily and had ADHD.
    I really have to question any type of behavior that allows a kid to make HOLES in the F'ing walls.

  20. #120
    Senior Member leapfreak's Avatar
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    Watching that video, one of the bits that really bothered me was when the dad says that he didn't keep the guns locked up because he trusted his son. I can't understand anyone letting their 12 year old child use a gun let alone leaving them unlocked.

    Seeing that boy's room is disturbing with all of the unused ammo lying around and the throwing star. These parents made some pretty shitty parenting decisions. I feel sorry for them though as they've paid in the worst possible way for their mistakes.

  21. #121
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    The link did not work but I am interested in the date it was published. I know he wasn't officially identified as the shooter until mid October (4 months after the tragedy) not sure when they announced the DNA findings. The doc came out almost exactly to the date one year later.

  22. #122
    Senior Member Queena's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bermstalker View Post
    Sorry for the triple post but I just wanted to point out something.
    Not only was this boy obsessed with guns and shooter video games- he also had posters on his wall with thousands of holes in it. He used one of those throwing stars. What kid does that and what parent allows their kid to make thousands of holes in their walls with a throwing star?????
    He had unspent bullets all over his room too. (not counting the ones he shot her with) but he had those HUGE bullets and tons of shotgun shells. I'm almost willing to bet this kid probably stored guns in his own room.

    Reports say this kid got angry easily and had ADHD.
    I really have to question any type of behavior that allows a kid to make HOLES in the F'ing walls.
    Thank you! His bedroom was so disturbing. He did have a book of Mormon though, so I guess he prayed in between playing with the guns.

  23. #123
    Senior Member bermstalker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spadedmaiden View Post
    The link did not work but I am interested in the date it was published. I know he wasn't officially identified as the shooter until mid October (4 months after the tragedy) not sure when they announced the DNA findings. The doc came out almost exactly to the date one year later.
    Olivia made this post on 6/23/15 (she was the one that posted the link to the article) She mentions it was an article from Nov 2014.
    Quote Originally Posted by Olivia View Post
    I'm phone posting but there's a good article here from November last year

    http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2014/1...ns-before.html

  24. #124
    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bermstalker View Post
    Sorry for the triple post but I just wanted to point out something.
    Not only was this boy obsessed with guns and shooter video games- he also had posters on his wall with thousands of holes in it. He used one of those throwing stars. What kid does that and what parent allows their kid to make thousands of holes in their walls with a throwing star?????
    He had unspent bullets all over his room too. (not counting the ones he shot her with) but he had those HUGE bullets and tons of shotgun shells. I'm almost willing to bet this kid probably stored guns in his own room.

    Reports say this kid got angry easily and had ADHD.
    I really have to question any type of behavior that allows a kid to make HOLES in the F'ing walls.
    I would say that is a misdiagnosis. He sounds like that Todd Kohlepp guy as a kid.

    Chinese throwing stars are illegal. He should definately not have had one. If you knew your kid had anger problems, why would you let them have access to a gun?

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

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  25. #125
    Senior Member leapfreak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Angiebla View Post
    I would say that is a misdiagnosis. He sounds like that Todd Kohlepp guy as a kid.

    Chinese throwing stars are illegal. He should definately not have had one. If you knew your kid had anger problems, why would you let them have access to a gun?
    But he was so trustworthy...

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