Tribute to Michael Schwartz Jr

My son was shot and killed on March 14th of 2012, he was 13 years old.

We live in a small town and he walked to school on a regular basics, as he told me by that day I never thought that would be the last time that I would see him, but it was. him and another friend walked to meet another boy to walk with them to school. When they got to the other boys house he wasn’t ready so my son and his friend who didn’t live there went in to wait.

As they waited the boy who didn’t even live in this house saw a shot gun in the corner and thought that it would be funny to mess with my son. And even though Michael told him to get the gun out of his face he still ended up shooting him in the chest and killing my son.

It wasn’t the fault of the boy who shot him, it was the the other boy’s fathers gun that he had left out and loaded where any one who did not live there could get it and did. Because of his leaving this out my child is gone. When they did and investigation on this case the man that owned the guns was not even supposed to have firearms in his home. The boy who shot him was given 90 days in a kids jail, with time served and with the early release of house arrest.

He was 14 he knew what the chance was when he pick that gun up. I have forgiven the boy that did it, he was one of my sons friends but he was old enough to know what could happen if he picked that gun up but he still did.

I am more angry that the man who owned this gun, and didn’t have it put away where a kid or anyone could get it, and if he was doing what the law stated and not had fire arms in his home this sense less act would never had happen. He is still going to court and is fighting the case because he doesn’t feel that he is responsible for any part in my sons death.  Hello it was your gun how are you not responsible?

And yes I am going to continue to fight for the rights of my son and what is right.  To make it so that guns can not be used to harm another child like my son.