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Teenager charged after allegedly shooting paintball gun

 

As children grow up in Philadelphia, they make many decisions regarding what to do each day. Many times, these decisions revolve around what they think will be fun, but they may not take into account the potential consequences of these decisions. Sometimes these consequences are harmless and may just annoy the people around them. However, other actions that may just seem like harmless fun can result in criminal charges.

This occurred with one teenager recently. Two males were walking down the street when they were shot by a paintball gun by someone inside a home on the block. They went to the home to confront the individual, and when the person opened the door, he allegedly shot at the two males again but missed. Police say that four individuals left that home, but they say that they were able to identify the teenager allegedly responsible for shooting the gun. The teenager was charged with multiple crimes including aggravated assault.

This juvenile, like any other juvenile charged with a crime will now go through the juvenile law system. This system is similar to the adult system and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. There also may be defenses available to the juvenile to prove his innocence. However, there are differences as well, and the focus is more on rehabilitation and what is in the juveniles’ best interest as opposed to simply punishing the criminal.

Many juveniles are charged with crimes in Philadelphia every year. If the juvenile is convicted, even though the punishments are different than the adult system, he or she will still face serious consequences. Some of these consequences are short-term and some are long-term and may not be realized right away. It is important that juveniles understand their rights and to make sure they are protected as they go through the juvenile law system.

Source: Fox29.com, “16-year-old charged in paintball incident in North Philadelphia” Oct. 30, 2016

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